The Truth About Men and Women
by phoenixnz
Summary: Clark Luthor is a cable tv show host who thinks he knows everything about women. Lois Lane is an award-winning reporter whose life is her work. Can two people meet in the middle? Note: plot takes extreme left turn after ch 15
1. Takeover

Lois Lane knew one thing with absolute certainty. That no matter how many men she went out with, she was never going to find the right guy. One who wasn't intimidated by a woman who made her own way in life. That was the way the general had taught her and that was the way she was going to stay.

Okay, she thought, so I'm more of a career woman. But what's wrong with being career-oriented, she said to herself. She was a dedicated newspaper woman and damn good at her job too. She had a reputation not only as a hard-nosed journalist, but also the best investigative reporter the Daily Planet had seen in decades.

She had already earned her first Kerth Award for Investigative Journalism and she was on the fast track to getting her second.

Okay, so there might have been a couple of bumps along the way. Her expose on Lionel Luthor and his family being one of them. Lionel had threatened to sue the paper if they even so much as printed one word of such a slanderous article. And he'd tried to force her boss, editor-in-chief Perry White, to reveal Lois' source of information. Lois Lane refused to back down, even on threat of jail for contempt.

"Lane! Stop daydreaming. I need your copy five minutes ago."

Lois rolled her eyes. Randall Brady. City editor. She'd dated him for five minutes and found him the most boring individual known to humanity.

She quickly finished typing her story and sent it to the city editor's desk via the server, then got up, grabbing the coffee pot from the table and pouring herself another cup of black coffee. She'd been trying to cut down. Really she had. And she hated black coffee. She always liked a little froth in it. Low-fat, of course. And just a little bit of sweetener.

Cat Grant came in to the bullpen, reading from a file. She didn't see Lois standing there drinking the god-awful stone cold coffee and walked right into her.

"Oops, sorry Lois," the blonde said, her smile apologetic.

Lois grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe the spilled coffee off her blouse.

"It wasn't my favourite anyway," Lois said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Can you believe this guy?" Cat asked, holding up the page she'd been reading. "This girl was being mugged and he swoops down, grabs the mugger and flies off, then dumps him right on the doorstep of the nearest police station. I mean, is he for real?"

"Sure, why not," Lois shrugged. "My cousin used to live in this small town about a couple hours' drive from here and all sorts of weird stuff has been happening there for years. Like people get mutations or something. Maybe this guy's one of them."

"You mean like Warrior Angel? My little boy loves those comics."

"Except this is real life, not some comic book," Lois snorted.

Cat glared at her, but said nothing, her eyes widening as Perry White entered the bullpen.

"Listen up, people. Conference room two in five minutes. An important announcement. And I expect you all to be there."

Lois looked at Cat. "Wonder what's going on?" she murmured.

Cat shrugged. Jeff, one of the new interns, was chewing on a pencil and looking contemplative.

"I heard talk of layoffs," he said.

"Layoffs? You're kidding."

"Well, circulation's down and people are getting laid off at companies all over town. Only place where your job is safe at the moment is LuthorCorp. Ever since junior took over it's looked a whole lot better place to be."

"I would keep those thoughts to yourself, Jeff," Lois cautioned him.

"Why? Everyone knows you hate the Luthors, Lois. I mean, what did they ever do to you?"

"Apart from screw my cousin over? Put my uncle out of a job? Not to mention poisoning the environment all over Smallville."

"I would suggest, Ms Lane, that you keep those particular opinions to yourself. Unless you have actual proof that Luthorcorp was responsible."

Lois turned and looked at Lex Luthor. The bald heir to the Luthorcorp 'throne' had spent the last several years overseas. Last year, when Lionel had suffered a fatal heart attack, Lex had returned to the fold and taken over the reins of Luthorcorp. Much, or so Lois had heard, to the chagrin of his younger brother. Not that Clark Luthor had shown the slightest bit of interest in taking over the corporation himself.

It was fair to say the brothers took the concept of sibling rivalry to a whole new level. Whatever Lex had done in his teenage years, Clark had done his best to top. Lex had been rumoured to have been arrested for all manner of things, although his juvenile exploits had been covered up, his records sealed. There had been one incident which Lois had heard about, where Lex had been involved in a fight in Club Zero. And she could swear he'd been arrested for solicitation once.

Clark had not only been arrested for fighting, but the fight had been against ten others. And Clark hadn't even batted an eyelid.

Where Lex had gone from relationship to relationship in his early twenties, even getting married twice, Clark had become the 'man about town', often being seen with not one or two pretty girls on his arms but three or four. The name Clark Luthor had become synonymous with sex orgies. The man might be only twenty-five years old, but he was the classic womaniser.

Lois stared coolly at Lex, refusing to blink or look away. Lex just smirked and turned away, as if her opinions weren't worth a damn anyway. His entourage followed him through the bullpen. Lois frowned. What the hell was Luthor doing here anyway, she wondered.

She glanced at her colleagues, but said nothing. They were both staring at her in awe. No one took on Lex Luthor and lived to tell about it, but she had.

They made their way to the conference room at the appointed time. Lois grabbed the first empty chair she could find. Unfortunately, it was also directly opposite the last person she expected to see in her space, let alone the newspaper.

Clark Luthor smirked at her.

"Lois Lane," he said.

"Luthor," she spat, then deliberately turned away from him to talk to a colleague. Asshole, she thought. She heard a snicker and knew he was laughing at her. She would just love to wipe that smirk off his handsome, all-too-perfect face.

People continued to talk, even as Perry came in with Lex and his entourage.

"Settle down, people," he said, but no one was listening. He continued to try talking over those still chattering to no avail. Finally, Lois saw, Lex nudged Clark, who stood up and put fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. The sound pierced the chattering, causing everyone to stop what they were doing.

Lex smirked at his brother.

"Thanks Clark."

Clark shrugged and smiled. Lois just glared at him as he sat down again. Perry cleared his throat.

"Right. Well, I know you're all curious as to why I called you all in here. First off, like everyone else, the Planet has fallen on hard times recently."

Oh, here we go, Lois thought, as a murmur spread through the room. Everyone had been expecting this on some level. The recession had hit everyone hard. Even as caught up in her work as she was, Lois was not unaware of the Planet's financial difficulties of late.

Perry raised his hands.

"Settle down, settle down. As I was saying, the Planet has had a few financial problems lately but I want to assure you that the paper will not be downsizing. I'm going to turn this meeting over to Mr Luthor here."

"Thank you, Perry. Like you, I am not unaware of how difficult it has been for everyone. When times are tough economically, it is stressful for all concerned. And your efforts of late have not gone unnoticed."

Lois frowned. What the hell? Luthor was talking like ...

"And I know what some of you are thinking. What is a corporate mogul such as myself doing chairing a meeting for a newspaper?" Lex looked pointedly at Lois. "As of nine o'clock this morning, I officially became the owner of this fine newspaper."

"What?" Lois stared at him, her mouth dropping in shock. Lex looked at her evenly.

"Yes, Ms Lane?"

"What moron in their right mind would sell the Daily Planet to you?"

She didn't fail to notice the glare from Lex, or the steady look from Clark, clearly warning her she was on thin ice.

"Ms Lane, I would hate for this paper to lose a seasoned journalist. Particularly an award-winning one such as yourself. Consider that your first warning."

Lois glared back at Lex. He knew this job was her life. How dare he insinuate ...

"Now, in the coming weeks, some departments are going to be heavily restructured. No one is going to lose their jobs. However, some of you will be changing titles. The news editorial team does a fine job and I have no intention of splitting up such a team. However, I do feel that in order to bring sales up, we need to be catering to the masses. So I am bringing in a few new departments. One will be an online team, dedicated to writing for the new Daily Planet website."

"What website?" Lois asked.

"The one that is currently being developed by my team of specialists, Ms Lane. As I said, we need to cater to the masses and my research shows that more than forty percent of our readers prefer to read their paper online. There are still others, of course, who like to pick up their newspaper from the front porch in the mornings."

"What are the other new departments?" Cat asked.

"I plan to redevelop the op-ed pages with more features and more columnists. And that brings me to the reason Clark is here. As some of you know, my brother ..." Lex grinned at his younger brother, who smirked, "...has a small show running at night on cable. And it seems to have picked up quite a following."

He nodded at Perry, who picked up a remote and switched on the huge flat screen mounted on the wall. He pressed another key on the remote and Clark could be seen sprawling lazily on a chair, smirking into the camera.

The colour drained from Lois' face. Oh god, no, she thought. She was dead. She was so dead.

ONE WEEK EARLIER

"Lois, I know you hate blind dates but trust me, this guy ticks all the boxes on your list." Lucy's voice echoed slightly through the phone line. "He's smart, funny, professional."

"What does he do?" Lois asked.

"He's a lawyer."

Lois snorted as she picked up a pencil from the cup on her desk and began chewing on the end.

"Like that's a ringing endorsement."

"He's not a corporate lawyer, Lo. And he doesn't defend criminals either. He's an environmentalist."

"What's his name?"

"Matt Wells. Give him a chance, Lo. You haven't been on a date in how long?"

"I get out. I have dates," she told her sister defensively.

"Interviews, Lois. Not dates. And the last guy you went out with you took to a journalism seminar. A women in journalism seminar. It's no wonder they don't call again."

"Look, I just ..."

She sighed. Like it or not, Lucy was right. She didn't have a lot of dates. Men just seemed to be intimidated by how career-oriented she was. It had been so long since she'd had a relationship that had lasted longer than two dates that she'd almost forgotten how.

"Lo, I just want you to meet a great guy. There's more to life than working at the paper and winning awards."

"Okay, fine. Where am I meeting this paragon?"

Lucy told her the time and place. She'd booked a table at a small, intimate restaurant near the river. Matt would be holding a yellow rose. Lois made sure her work was completed for the day and dressed in a conservative dress and jacket combo. She glanced at herself in the mirror as she put on just a little bit of lipstick. She looked fine. Exactly the image of a professional career woman.

She walked into the restaurant fifteen minutes late, having had a last-minute call from a source for a story she'd been working on. She was flustered as she approached the maitre d'.

"Excuse me. I'm supposed to be meeting someone here."

"Name?" the maitre d' said, looking bored.

"Lane. Uh, no, hang on." Had Lucy told her what name the reservation would be under? She couldn't remember. And for the life of her, she couldn't remember the guy's name either. Idiot! she told herself, wanting to smack her forehead. "Um, sorry, I'm not sure I ..."

"Lois?"

She turned and looked at the young man behind her. He was cute, in a button-down, preppie sort of way. Wavy, dark blonde hair framed a face that was not quite chubby and certainly not angular. Tall, around six one or six two. And he was holding a yellow rose.

He smiled.

"Well, for once Lucy wasn't exaggerating. You are just as attractive as she said you were."

Lois just stared at him, not wanting to embarrass herself by admitting that she couldn't remember the man's name.

"Matt," he said, letting her off the hook. Clearly he was just as smart as Lucy had said.

They sat down at the table and the waiter immediately asked what they would like to drink.

"Oh, I'm just going to have a mineral water," Matt said. "So much better for the body than alcohol."

Lois gulped. She'd been going to order a glass of wine, but it appeared Matt was a teetotaller. Lucy hadn't told her that.

"Um, you know, I think I'll have water too. Tap water, please."

"Tap water? You know how many bugs are in that?" Matt asked. "Not to mention the amount of chemicals they put into it."

Lois felt the need to counter.

"Well, you know that mineral water you're so fond of? It's still just tap water but they charge you extra for it just so you think you're actually getting mineral water brought down from a natural spring in the mountains, but it's really just tap water."

Matt gave her an 'are you kidding?' look. Lois pulled out her notebook. She had a list of dos and don'ts on dates and points of conversation.

"So, um, tell me what, um, cases you've been working on," she said, looking at item number five.

Matt quickly realised she had drawn up a list of questions.

"Is this an interview? I thought this was meant to be a date?" he said.

"It is," she assured him. "I just thought, you know, this would give us a frame of reference. I mean you know how awkward blind dates can be."

Great, Lois, she thought as she turned the key in her lock three hours later. Not only had the date been a total disaster, but when she had asked Matt if he'd mind if she used some of the things he'd told her for a story, the answer had been an emphatic no.

The cat that had somehow managed to ingratiate itself into her home wound its way around her ankles, purring. She picked it up, cuddling it and scratching its ears as she locked the door and moved through the townhouse, kicking off her shoes as she went. She sat on the bed, putting the cat down beside her and picked up the tv remote from the nightstand, flicking the tv on.

Rubbing her aching feet, Lois took off her stockings and undid the clip holding her hair up, then got up and went into the adjoining bathroom, not even paying attention to what was on the television. She had a fleeting glimpse of the cat walking on the bed and stepping on the remote. There was some kind of cable show on.

Lois removed her make-up with cold cream and quickly rinsed it off, then pulled out an oversized t-shirt, taking off her clothes and putting it on. She went back into the bedroom and sat down, absently stroking the cat.

The show on the tv looked to be some kind of talk show, and the man on it was none other than Clark Luthor. He was the kind of guy Lois would be attracted to. Handsome, tall, well-built, wavy dark hair and the most intense blue-green eyes Lois had ever seen. The only thing was, he was a Luthor. And Lois hated the family and everything they stood for.

Clark might have chosen to go his own way in life, but he was still a Luthor. And that made him poison.

"You know what? Enough of this bullshit about women wanting romance. Ladies, let me tell it to ya straight. All men care about is the sex. Okay? The only reason that guy is romancing you is so he can get into your panties. He's only giving you what he thinks you want, but he doesn't give a fuck about that stuff. Flowers, chocolates, walks along the beach, ladies who are you kidding? Just open your legs and give him a good look at heaven and he'll be yours."

A woman was speaking, clearly through a phone line.

"So what are you saying? I mean, I've been seeing this guy for weeks and we haven't even got to ..."

"Sweetheart, if he hasn't slept with you by now, he's either gay or he's just not that into you. And that's the naked truth."

As Lois continued to watch, she became incensed. Just who the hell did this guy think he was? She saw a number come up on the screen and made an on-the-spot decision.

"Next victim," Clark smirked.

"You know, that is just the kind of sexist, misogynistic crap I would expect from someone like you."

"Oh, a feisty one. This'll be good."

"Of course guys like romance."

"Which guys? Come on, lady. Give me an example."

"My perfect guy loves to take walks in the rain and he'll take me to a monster truck rally, or out to a romantic dinner."

Clark snorted. "So who is this Mr Perfect?"

"He ... well, he's in my head. I mean, I haven't exactly met him yet.

Clark laughed. "Clearly it's been a while since you've got any Miss, because you're labouring under a delusion. Your perfect guy doesn't exist."

"He does so exist," Lois protested. "Just because you're a cynic ..."

"And yet here you are talking to me," Clark pointed out.

"Well, my cat stepped on the remote and I ... well, it's like watching a train wreck. I was sort of compelled to keep watching."

"Well, be sure and thank your pussy for me," Clark said, cocking an eyebrow and smirking. Lois didn't miss the innuendo in his phrasing. "I haven't had a laugh like that in years."

And just like that she was cut off.

PRESENT

Lois glared at Clark, trying to hide her mortification as the scene of her utter humiliation played out on the screen. Oh, this was bad. This was really bad!

She looked away from Clark, wondering why he was smirking at her, then up at Lex and Perry.

"Just what is the purpose of this? The show is crap."

"The show has over five hundred thousand viewers," Perry said. "And the Planet needs the revenue."

"What?" Lois frowned.

Lex smirked at her and walked over to put a hand on Clark's shoulder.

"You're looking at the Daily Planet's newest columnist. Clark, here, is going to be writing a weekly column based on his cable show."

Lois swallowed and stared at Clark. She felt faint. Or she was going to be sick. One or the other.


	2. Faceoff

Chapter Two

Clark grinned as he watched her. What a shame Lois didn't know that all calls to his show were tracked. Just in case. He hadn't told anyone else yet, especially his brother, but he knew Lois had made that call.

He'd heard all about the feisty Lois Lane. At twenty six, she had developed a reputation as a hard-hitting investigative reporter. Smart and gorgeous, she used every resource at her disposal to get what she wanted. And it worked almost every time.

Of course, what the lovely Lois didn't know was that he had had to bail her out of trouble a couple of times in the past. He knew all about her upbringing. The daughter of a tough army general, Lois had learned that to get anywhere in life she had to be as tough as nails. And more often than not, that got her into trouble. Especially with her mouth. It wasn't to say that Lois had no social graces. She had some! She just tended to be more impulsive, speaking without thinking.

As the staff filed out of the conference room, Clark looked at his brother. Adopted, of course. Clark had been three, or close to it, when his ship had landed in a cornfield in Smallville over twenty years earlier.

He'd been found a short time later by Lionel's men and taken to a large house in the city. Of course, he hadn't known that at the time. He had not been aware of time passing as he played with the blocks he'd been left with to keep him entertained. He'd learned later that Lionel had been in Smallville, as Lex had been caught up in a blast wave from one of the meteors that had come down with the ship and was being treated for shock, among other things.

It had been Lillian Luthor who had found him first. Well, it had been stupid of Lionel's men to deposit him at the Luthor mansion and leave him there where Lillian could find him. And the redhead had instantly fallen for the young orphan. Clark hadn't been able to talk then. Not English, anyway, since his birth parents had placed some sort of learning module in the ship with him.

When Lionel had finally made it back to the mansion, he had found Lillian with the small boy. Clark barely remembered those first few hours, but he did remember the thunderous expression on the bearded man's face when Lionel had looked at Lillian.

His adopted mother had always wanted another child, but her health hadn't been the best. She'd had a heart condition which flared up now and then and doctors had warned her against having another child. Lionel had given in to her pleas to adopt the foundling.

When it had come time to choose a name, Lillian had tried to get him to talk, but all he'd managed was unintelligible mumbles and a 'K' sound. Clark had been trying to say his birth name, which had been taught to him through the learning module. Lillian had then remembered a young woman who had briefly worked as her assistant before she'd married a man from Smallville, and had thought the young woman's last name would make a great first name.

So Clark had grown up a Luthor. And it had become apparently early on that Clark was special. He remembered those early childhood years as filled with rounds of tests. Lionel would have doctors and other specialists come in to look Clark over and see what he could do. Only Lillian's intervention stopped Lionel from doing anything more invasive.

Lillian's heart had finally given out on her the night she had given birth to her second biological child. Lillian had died in childbirth and Julian had died shortly after. Lionel had refused to acknowledge Lillian, or Julian from that day on.

Clark knew what his father had done for a living. Lionel could be ruthless. Some might even suggest his activities had bordered on criminal. And he'd raised both his sons to be just as ruthless. It had been the one major sticking point between Clark and his father. Clark had refused to toe the line and had walked out of the family home.

Where Lex was concerned, he'd grown up envying his older brother. And he'd proceeded to outdo Lex in terms of the types of mischief he could get up to. Where Lex had been arrested for getting into a fight with a guy, Clark had been arrested for getting into a fight with ten guys.

And Lionel had really gone to town over that one, lecturing about using subtlety with his powers. That just because he was strong enough to fight off ten big guys, it didn't mean he should. Clark had just rolled his eyes at that and proceeded to do exactly the opposite of what the old man had told him.

Lex, for his crimes, had been exiled to the town of Smallville, to run the fertiliser plant there. He had not been amused and, according to Lionel, he'd run the plant into the ground, putting hundreds of people out of work when Lionel had finally closed the plant down. When that had failed to get Lex to toe the line, Lionel had finally sent Lex to work in Europe at a Luthorcorp subsidiary. He'd been there for six years, returning only when the old man had had his heart attack.

Clark, on the other hand, had taken his share of his inheritance from Lillian and had travelled the world for a couple of years before returning to Metropolis. Then a friend had invited Clark to join him on a cable show and the rest was history. Of course, it helped that ever since puberty, Clark had gained the reputation of something of a ladykiller.

"Earth to Clark."

Clark looked up and smirked at his brother. "What?"

"No, Clark. She's the best reporter we have and if you piss her off ..." Lex trailed off.

"I wasn't even thinking about Lois."

Lex just shook his head. "The fact that you even knew who I was talking about speaks volumes Clark. And that one is definitely hands off. Especially with the way you usually treat women."

"Like you can talk," Clark snorted.

Lex sat next to him. "Clark, listen to me. I mean it now. Keep your big paws away from Lois Lane. The only reason I'm letting you do this is because we need to sell papers. And for some strange reason, the women seem to like your show."

"Lex, the only reason I came on board with this is as a favour. And besides, I wanted to learn to do some serious writing."

"You will be doing serious writing, Clark. Just the type of writing that sells. Come on, what did Perry tell us is the first rule in newspapers?"

"If it bleeds it leads?" Clark offered. Lex dropped his head, sighing.

"Okay, the second."

"You lost me."

"Sex, Clark. Like it or not, sex sells. And even I have to admit that that's the primary reason your show's demographic is largely female. And single women in their twenties at that. I mean, personally, I don't know what women see in that ugly face of yours, but whatever."

"Ahh, you're just jealous," Clark snorted.

Lex smirked and patted his shoulder.

"Not all of us want to be horn dogs and indulge in sex orgies like others I can name."

"Hey, that is a total lie," Clark protested as the brothers got up to leave the conference room. "I don't have sex orgies. Threesomes, yes, not orgies."

"You're disgusting Clark."

"But women love me," Clark grinned.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Kal," Lex said as they walked along the corridor to the elevator. "It's not just women who are deluding themselves."

Clark turned and slapped his brother's shoulder. "Ah, well, you know what they say, Lex. If you've got it, flaunt it." He put a hand to his crotch as if to demonstrate.

"How is it we're related again?" Lex asked.

"Adoption remember?"

"Good. I'd hate to think your perversions were genetic."

Clark's eyes widened as he looked at his older brother.

"I'm a pervert?" He slapped a hand on his forehead. "Oh lord, slap me in cuffs and take me away."

Lex shook his head. "You're also a drama queen. But then again you always were."

Clark just chuckled. He pressed the button for the eighth floor.

"Where are you going?" Lex asked, then groaned as if he remembered who was on the eighth floor. "As if I didn't guess. I told you to keep your mitts off her."

"It's not my mitts I want on her," Clark said, grabbing his crotch again. "How much do you want to bet I'll have her in my bed before the week's out."

"I told you no, Kal," Lex said, using Clark's birth name. He often only used that when he wanted to make a point. "She already hates our family. If you do this she'll quit. Trust me on this."

"What the hell did the Luthors do to her to make her hate us anyway?"

"Remember when Dad closed the plant in Smallville? Or the employee buyout I tried to engineer? Lois' cousin Chloe?"

"Oh yeah, that chick was hot!"

"Let me guess. You slept with her too. Damn it Kal!"

Clark remembered Chloe. Blonde, pretty. Okay, she'd been a little curvy but he didn't mind that so much. The girl certainly knew how to dress with style and he'd always liked confident women.

ELEVEN YEARS EARLIER

Clark had decided to play hooky from Excelsior. He was in his senior year, even though he was only fourteen. Or so it said on his adoption certificate. The one Lionel had had forged anyway. So he'd skipped a few grades when he was younger. Lionel might have told him not to use his powers, but he at least was allowed to show he was no moron, unlike many of the others in his class.

He had decided to go see his brother, who had just been exiled to Smallville. Lex was really not happy about being sent down to 'take care' of the crap factory, which was what he called the fertiliser plant in the town where he had lost his hair. It was one of those subjects that Lionel never discussed.

It had been raining earlier and the roads were a little slick as Clark paused to stand on a bridge overlooking the river. All he'd seen so far were fields of golden corn. Compared to the city, the town looked like it was going to be the most boring place on Earth.

Clark yawned as he stared out over the murky green water. He supposed he should get moving, find out where this mansion was. He'd never been back to Smallville since his father's people had found him in that cornfield, but he knew Lionel had had a huge castle-like mansion brought over from Scotland where he claimed his ancestors had come from.

Just as he turned to move, he heard the squealing of brakes and saw a car fishtailing over the road. Crap, he thought. That looked like ... it was Lex's Porsche. He had no time to get out of the way as the car hit him full on, smacking into his hips, the impact sending him flying through the air as the car continued on through the barrier.

Clark hit the water first. Dazed, he shook his head to clear it and swam down into the depths to check the car. Lex wasn't moving. Clark saw Lex's cellphone floating inside the car. Thinking quickly, he peeled back the top of the car and pulled his brother out. Dragging him to the embankment, he checked for signs of life. Lex wasn't breathing.

Clark knelt, tilting Lex's jaw and opening his mouth, leaning down and puffing two quick breaths to inflate his brother's lungs. He checked for a pulse. Nothing.

Acting quickly, Clark found the space between Lex's ribcage and began using CPR.

"Don't die on me Lex," he puffed.

And suddenly Lex was back, spluttering out dirty water. He lay back for a second, taking in several shallow breaths. He blinked up at Clark, clearly still dazed from the wound on his forehead.

"Clark? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Luckily I was," Clark said. "Or else you would have been fish food."

"How did you ... Clark, you know you're not supposed to use your ..."

"Screw that," Clark said, helping Lex sit up. "If I hadn't been here, you would have been dead and you know it. You were for a couple of minutes there."

"All right, fine. We'll talk about this later," Lex said as two men came down the embankment.

The police and ambulance were called and Lex was examined. But other than a little water on the lungs and a mild concussion, he was fine.

When they finally made it to the mansion nearly two hours later, Lex immediately jumped on Clark's case.

"Damn it, Clark, you're supposed to be in school. If the old man ..."

"Screw the old man, Lex. He's not the boss of me."

"You know what he said when he sent you to Excelsior. You screw this up, Clark ..."

"Oh, what the hell do you care, Lex. You're jealous. You've always been jealous of me."

Lex snorted. "Jealous of a snot-nosed spoilt brat?"

Clark turned on his brother. "You know, I could have left you in that river to drown."

Lex bared his teeth and glared at the brunet. "I almost wish you had!"

"That is quite enough out of both of you!"

The brothers turned and looked at their father. Lionel had clearly been told of the accident by someone. Probably the authorities.

"Clark, I warned you what would happen if you set one foot out of line. And now I find you here in Smallville when you should have been in school."

"I don't care," Clark shrugged. "School's boring!"

"If that is the case, son, then it is about time you learned to appreciate the advantages the Luthor name gives you. I'm pulling you out of Excelsior and you will attend school here. Your brother will now supervise your education. Is that clear?"

"What?" Lex looked at his father, eyes widening. "You're not lumbering me with him! How am I supposed to keep an eye on him and the plant as well?"

"That is your problem, Lex. I've had enough of the two of you getting into fights and sullying the Luthor name. You will both learn to toe the line. Do you understand me?"

They both mumbled their yes sirs.

"I didn't hear you," Lionel growled.

"Yes sir!" they said simultaneously, raising their voices.

"Good! And I do not want to hear of any more incidents like today. You clearly have no sense of self-preservation, Clark. What the hell were you thinking ripping the roof off the car like that?"

"Uh, well, I ..."

"Son," Lionel said, putting his hands on Clark's shoulders. "I only say these things to protect you. You have a destiny son. And you won't fulfil that destiny if you continually fuck up and do things that draw the wrong kind of attention to yourself. Remember this, Clark. Luthors are going to rule the world."

Well, maybe not rule the world, Clark thought, as he wandered the corridors of Smallville High. He couldn't stand the garish colours of the hallways. The reds and the golds. The school was definitely small town and so parochial he could have laughed if he wasn't still so angry at his father.

It wasn't long before he caught the attention of everyone in the school. And he quickly had himself some groupies. The Luthor name might be poison to the town, but that didn't stop all the popular kids wanting to hang out with the Luthor scion.

The first sign that this small town wasn't what it seemed was when he and Lex had checked out the local farmers market. Lex had ordered produce from a couple who grew it organically while Clark checked out the girls. One in particular had caught his eye. A beautiful brunette who happened to be a cheerleader at school. Clark had quickly learned that the girl had lost her parents in the meteor shower.

As he continued to watch, a senior in his class, wearing a letterman's jacket, bumped elbows with him.

"That's my girlfriend you're ogling Luthor," Whitney Fordman said.

Clark looked around at him and smirked.

"So? You're not married to her Fordman."

"I know your reputation Luthor. Keep your hands off her."

"Make me," Clark challenged.

Whitney stepped up to him, his eyes glaring.

"I'm warning you," he said.

Lex chose that moment to interrupt. "Clark, let's go."

It was as they were heading back to the mansion that it happened. They'd been following Whitney's truck when it overturned and rolled. Clark could swear he'd seen something drop from above onto the cab.

"Stop the car," he yelled at Lex. "That truck's going to explode."

He jumped out before Lex could screech to a halt and ran over to the truck, pulling the unconscious Whitney out and protecting him as the fuel tank ruptured and the heat from the truck ignited the fuel.

A few moments later he looked up and stared up at Lex, who was staring back at him in shock. The flames had engulfed him but except for his clothes he'd been unscathed.

"Clark ..."

"I'm okay."

Clark later learned what had happened when Lana Lang came over to the mansion to thank him personally for saving Whitney.

Clark just shrugged at her.

"Has Whitney said anything about what happened?" he asked.

"Only that he thought he saw Greg Arkin on the truck."

Clark decided to investigate more, asking around at school. He soon learned that Chloe Sullivan, who was also the editor of the school paper, was the foremost expert on the weird and unexplained. He'd stared in stunned silence at the newspaper articles she'd collected and pinned on the wall.

"I call it the Wall of Weird," she'd proclaimed proudly. "I mean, everyone blames your family for all the strange stuff that's been happening in the town, but I've traced specific incidents back to the meteor shower. That's when the whole town started to go schizo."

Once they'd solved the Greg Arkin mystery, Clark and Chloe had begun investigating other incidents and they'd become close friends. Lana and Whitney had continued to date until Whitney's father had died and he'd become completely shut off from everyone. Then he'd announced he was going to join the Marine Corps.

Lionel put his foot down when Clark decided he was going to stay in Smallville another year. Now that Whitney was out of the picture, he wanted to try his luck with Lana. But Lionel had already enrolled him at Metropolis University and he had no choice but to go along with it. Even Lex had told him that there was nothing more important than getting a degree.

Clark was a Luthor and the last thing he would admit to was being ruled by his emotions. But he wanted Lana and he was damned if he was going to let some other guy take her. The trouble was, in spite of his popularity in the town on his weekend visits – he was always surrounded by admirers when he dropped in to the local coffee shop, the Talon – Lana never even noticed him. Or so he thought.

In a fit of pique, and hoping to make Lana jealous, he started dating Chloe, even engineering it so they would have hot and heavy make-out sessions in the Talon where Lana was working. By the time he was seventeen, he believed himself so enamoured with the brunette that he would do anything to make her notice him.

And that was when he'd slept with Chloe. Although, slept was a relative term. No, he couldn't remember actually sleeping with Chloe. It had been hard, hot and dirty sex, right up against the alley wall behind the Talon. Lana had come out to put the trash in the dumpster and she had seen him fucking Chloe, with their clothes half off, and Chloe yelling her head off as she climaxed. And he'd remembered the hurt look on Lana's face.

Clark had dumped Chloe a few days later and began actively pursuing Lana. They'd dated for two years until Lana had dumped him because he continued to keep secrets from her. As for Chloe, she had called him a bastard and refused to talk to him ever again.

Okay, Clark thought, so he had been a bastard to Chloe. But he liked to think that the women he'd slept with since then had known the score and had a good time with him. He wasn't in it for the long haul and he thought he'd made that pretty clear.

But he supposed, given the way he'd used Chloe, Lois Lane had every right to hate him.

He stood in the doorway of her office, watching her. She was reading something on the computer.

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

She turned, wide-eyed, spilling the paper cup of coffee.

"Oh, shit!" she said, hurriedly grabbing some paper towels from the cabinet and mopping up the spilled coffee. She looked up at him as she continued to mop. "What are you doing in here?"

"I just thought I'd spend some time meeting my new colleagues."

"We met in the conference room. Officially, that is," she said. "I mean, I'd hate to break into your daily routine of screwing with women."

"Now that wounds me," he said, clutching at his heart dramatically, as if he'd been stabbed.

"Good, maybe you'll die," she muttered, clearly not expecting him to hear her.

"Oh, and FYI Lois? I am not a misogynist. I love women."

Her eyes widened again as the words sunk in and he knew she realised he'd known about her call. She blushed hotly, then seemed to regain her composure.

"Tell that to my cousin Chloe," she snarled.

"Ancient history," he told her. He blanched at her furious glare. "Okay, I admit, I screwed up when it came to your cousin."

"Screwed her over, you mean. Her father lost his job because of you."

"I am not responsible for the things my father did to Smallville," he told her. "Let's get that through that pretty head of yours once and for all."

She blinked at that comment, but didn't remark on it.

"You Luthors poison everything you touch," she said. "And I won't be a part of it."

"A part of what?" He studied her for a moment, then saw what she had been reading. It was a letter of resignation. "Are you quitting?"

"Did you really think I'd work for a Luthor?" she growled.

"You can't quit, Lois. Lex needs you. Look, I know I can be an arrogant little shit, but I never say things I don't mean. And if you quit now, the Planet will lose the best reporter they have."


	3. Decisions

Chapter Three

Lois looked at Clark for a long moment, biting her lip. He sounded sincere enough, but she knew his reputation. He'd been known to say just about anything to get a woman into bed with him.

Clark seemed to sense what she was thinking.

"Lois, I never lie."

Lois snorted. Yeah, right! She turned away from him, then felt his hand on her arm, forcing her to look at him.

"I mean it," he said softly.

Lois looked him over. "Why should I believe you? You're a Luthor."

"Can you just forget the name for one second?" he said, exasperated.

"Why? Do you have any idea what you did to Chloe? She thought you were friends, and then you sleep with her and dump her like she's yesterday's garbage."

"And as I said, it's ancient history. Look, Lois, hate me all you want, but don't penalise this paper because you think I'm an asshole."

"You're damned right you're an asshole. And an egoist if you think this is all about you. Frankly, I could care less about you. What I care about is that the integrity of this paper has gone right out the window now that it's owned by a Luthor!"

"Integrity? I didn't think journalists had any integrity," Clark smiled, clearly trying to be disarming.

Lois smacked his shoulder.

"For your information, Luthor, I do have some integrity."

It was Clark's turn to snort.

"Right. That's why you've been pursuing your angle on Luthors being the devil incarnate. We're not that bad."

"Sure. That's why you told your father to go to hell, right Clark?"

"My reasons for walking out have nothing to do with ..." He seemed to relent. "Okay, maybe you have a point. I didn't agree with my father's code of ethics, so I chose to walk away. But you don't know the whole story, and I'm not inclined to tell you. But what you don't know is that Lex has spent the last year trying to clean up some of the messes our father made and changing a few policies. It's not the same company it was when Lionel was at the helm."

"Why should I trust you? Or Lex? And why keep it quiet?"

Clark frowned at her. "Do you know what certain parties would do if they knew that Lex was cutting off all ties with them?"

Lois thought about that for a moment. Her sources had often suggested that Lionel had had connections to the likes of Intergang. Especially Morgan Edge. And Clark had a point. If word got out that Lex was cutting ties with them, without the opportunity to put safeguards in place, then he would be a target.

She chewed at her bottom lip. She still wasn't happy with all this, but maybe she wasn't being totally fair. After all, she hadn't heard of any nefarious schemes, or any new ones at least, in the last year.

"Okay, let's say I decide to give Lex a fair hearing. But I'm going to reserve judgement. And if I see anything I don't like, I'll hand in my notice," she said. She poked him with her finger. "And let's get one thing straight, Luthor. Just because I'm giving your brother a chance, it doesn't mean I'm giving you the same one. I still think you're a sexist, womanising pig, especially after what you did to my cousin, so don't try any of your games with me."

Clark looked as if he was thinking it over, then he nodded slowly.

"Fine," he said. "No games." He paused, then smiled. "And in the spirit of our working relationship, why don't I take you to dinner?"

Lois glared at him. The man just didn't quit. She knew he wanted to try and seduce her into bed with him. He just couldn't help himself.

"What did I just say about no games, Luthor?" she said fiercely. She picked up her bag and switched off her computer. Clark made to follow her and she turned on him in the doorway. "Forget it, Luthor. I am going home to a microwave dinner and my cat."

Clark smirked.

"Okay, have fun playing with your ... pussy."

Oh, she wanted to smack that smirk right off his face. Bastard!

An hour later she walked in the door of her townhouse, throwing her keys wearily down on the side table. She kicked off her shoes and wandered into the kitchen, grabbing a carton of juice from the fridge and a glass, pouring the juice absently into the glass.

"Shit!" she said when the juice spilled on the counter. She grabbed a cloth from the sink and quickly mopped up.

She was distracted. Stupid Clark Luthor and his stupid, handsome, oh so sexy ... Ugh! She thought. Man thought he was soooo charming, and sooo sexy. He was the type of guy she and Chloe would have practically creamed their panties over when she'd been a teenager.

Lois growled to herself. Come on, Lane, you are twenty-six years old and way too old to have a teenage crush. And Clark Luthor was far from mister perfect. Certainly not her dream guy. Way too much water under the bridge. Not to mention the fact that he'd broken her cousin's heart.

Her caller id was blinking and she dialled her voicemail.

"Hey, it's Chloe. Give me a call when you get in."

Lois plopped down in the armchair, wondering absently where the cat had got to and dialled Chloe's number.

"Hey cuz," she said when her cousin picked up.

"So, I hear the Luthors have taken over the Daily Planet," Chloe said.

Lois frowned. Just how did Chloe hear about this stuff? They'd made the announcement barely three hours ago.

"Chloe, how did you ..."

"Oh, come on cuz, how do I hear about everything?"

That was the problem. Chloe just seemed to have a knack of making friends with the right people and having contacts in the oddest of places.

Her blonde cousin was now working for the Gotham Tribune. Her dream had once been to work for the Daily Planet, but she'd had what could euphemistically have been called 'creative differences' with her editor when she'd interned her first year at college and it had resulted in a parting of the ways. Out of the blue, an offer had come from Perry White to work with him on a story, involving Lionel Luthor of all people, and it had boosted Chloe's reputation from being just a journalist with a penchant for the weird and unexplained to a serious reporter.

That had led to the job at the Gazette and from all reports Chloe was not only the best investigative reporter at the paper, she was also very happy.

"The thing I don't get," Lois told her cousin, "is why Perry would work with the Luthors."

"Lionel's been dead over a year, and from what I hear, Lex has been trying to clean house. I don't think Lex is as bad as you make him out to be."

Lois snorted. "And what about Clark? He screwed you over, Chloe."

"What did he do except sleep with me and dump me? And maybe he did me a favour," Chloe said.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Lo, before Clark, I might have been a good journalist, but in some ways I was a little naive."

"How is that doing you a favour?"

"I guess you could say I've become a little more discerning in who I choose to trust."

"I repeat," Lois said.

"Lo, I appreciate that you want to stand up for me with the likes of Clark Luthor, but I knew what he was before I slept with him. The guy's an ass, plain and simple. And I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing he broke my heart. Trust me, the guy's ego doesn't need the boost. Anyway, it's his loss, not mine. I mean, if it hadn't been for that, I would have missed the great guy I have now."

"Just who is this paragon, anyway?" Lois asked. Chloe had been curiously secretive about the guy she had been seeing for the last year. "And when do I get to meet him?"

"He's kind of a private person, Lo."

"You mean he's shy?"

"No, I just mean that if we did the whole meet the family thing, it would be like announcing to the world that we're a couple."

Lois frowned. Why wouldn't Chloe's man want to go public with the relationship? It just seemed a little odd to her.

"I know what you're thinking, but he has his reasons," Chloe said. "And I understand those reasons. Now, tell me about this guy they're calling the Blur."

The Blur had appeared on the scene a couple of years ago when he'd saved the Mayor after armed men had broken into the man's home. No one had seen the man's face, although there had been quite a few attempts to get a photograph. The closest they'd come was a blur, hence the name. It was clear the man had some kind of super human speed, and maybe other abilities as well.

Lois had the theory that the man had been born in Smallville, especially after everything Chloe had told her about the town, and the effect of the meteor rocks.

"I don't know, Lois. I mean, most people just get one ability from the meteor rocks," Chloe said. "It sounds like more than that."

"So if he's not a meteor freak, what is he?" Lois asked.

"You got me, cuz. Listen, I have to go. I've got a date with my honey, but I just want to say, don't worry about me where the Luthors are concerned. I got over Clark a long time ago. Don't walk out on the job just because you've got a beef with Clark, or even Lex. But be careful though. Lex is making sweeping changes at Luthorcorp, and they're not popular with certain factions, if you get what I mean."

Lois understood. She hung up from her cousin feeling a little better about the situation. Okay, maybe she could give Lex a chance to prove himself. As for Clark, he could go to hell as far as she was concerned. Chloe might have got over it, but he was still a womanising jerk and the less she had to do with him the better.

She got up and went into the kitchen, grabbing a microwave meal from the freezer and the knife from the block, viciously stabbing holes in the cover, imagining it was Clark's face. She would never have done it for real, of course, but it still felt good.

The microwave door wouldn't close. She really needed to replace it, but like everything else in her kitchen, she tended to overlook it. Lois knew she lacked talent in the kitchen. Sam Lane had been more interested in teaching the 'chain of command' than making sure his two daughters learned culinary skills. Lois' mother had been diagnosed with cancer when Lois had been four and a half and nearly two years later had lost the battle. Lois' father had dealt with his beloved wife's death by burying his emotions down deep and raising the two girls as if they were army recruits rather than children.

Sighing, Lois grabbed a wooden spoon and jammed the door shut, turning on the microwave to heat up her dinner. Okay, so it wasn't exactly healthy, she told herself, but it wasn't as if she had so many other options.

She kept thinking about the things Clark had said. And if there was one thing she had to admit about Clark Luthor it was that he was always honest. To the point of being blunt, maybe, but still honest. He might have got into trouble as a teenager, but it had been more about getting the attention of his father and older brother than about lying.

She didn't know what had caused the falling out between Clark and his adoptive father. All she knew was that Clark had taken off shortly after graduating college, and his eighteenth birthday. From what Lois' sources had told her, it had been acrimonious. But just what had Clark meant by not agreeing with his father's ethics?

Lois had been so deep in thought that she hadn't realised that smoke had been coming out the back of the microwave.

"Great," she muttered as the smoke alarm began to scream deafeningly at her. She rushed to open the window, letting out the smoke and turned off the microwave. She'd burned dinner. Looked like it would be take out. Again. She couldn't even cook a microwave dinner right.

Just as she went to get the broom to try and turn off the smoke alarm stuck above her on the high ceiling, she heard the doorbell ringing.

"One second," she said, grimacing as the decibel levels from the alarm threatened to shatter her eardrums. Scowling at the offending alarm, she went out to the front door and stared at the redhead grinning at her.

"Martha," she said, unable to help the grin from developing. "What are you doing here?"

"We were in town. Sounds like we arrived in the nick of time," she smiled. She glanced over her shoulder at the tall blonde man carrying two paper sacks of what looked suspiciously like groceries.

He frowned at her.

"Burned dinner again?" he said, grinning sardonically.

Lois grinned back. She would have hugged him if his arms hadn't been full. He looked at his wife.

"I'll put these in the kitchen and take care of the alarm."

Lois watched as Jonathan Kent moved into the kitchen. A few seconds later the smoke alarm stopped beeping. Lois looked at the woman she considered a surrogate mother.

She'd met Jonathan and Martha Kent the year they'd moved to Metropolis. They had an adopted son who, coincidentally enough, they'd also named Clark. The boy was in his third year at Met U, there on a football scholarship.

The Kents, like many others in Smallville, had lost their farm, due to Lionel's machinations. With the fertiliser plant, they'd just barely kept their heads above water, and kept the farm going, but when the plant had closed, it had taken with it all their income from their organic produce.

Lois had met the couple through Chloe, who had been a close friend of theirs in Smallville. They'd moved to Metropolis and bought a small grocery. It wasn't the farm, which had been in the Kent family for generations, but it kept money coming in.

Lois watched as Martha began cooking dinner for them all. They did this for her once a month at least, no matter how many times Lois protested that she could take care of herself. They knew she was lying, especially when it came to her cooking, and Martha always insisted that she was just looking out for Lois.

During dinner, the conversation turned to the buyout of the Daily Planet. Jonathan had no love for the Luthors and he made his feelings quite clear on the matter.

"The Luthors were what was wrong with Smallville," he said. "Ever since Lionel Luthor bought the fertiliser plant, there's been nothing but trouble. Lois, you're better off trying to get work elsewhere. As much as we'd miss you, maybe you should try for a job at the Gazette, with Chloe."

Lois shook her head. "That's Chloe's space, not mine," she said. "I don't want to step on her toes. And anyway, Clark says that Lex is trying to turn things around."

"And you believe him?" Jonathan began. "Stay away from the likes of Clark Luthor, Lois. Trust me, that boy is nothing but trouble."

"Jonathan, you don't know that," Martha admonished him gently. "You're judging him on what his father did."

"Sweetheart ..."

"Look, I get it. But I also get what Chloe said. I'm not just going to walk out of the Daily Planet just because I have a problem with Clark Luthor. I'm not going to give that jerk the satisfaction of knowing he got to me."

Martha smiled. "Good girl!"

"But I'm also not going to fall for his charms either. The man might think he can twist me around his little finger, but he's got another think coming."


	4. Lena

Chapter Four

There was someone in his apartment when he walked in the door. He could hear them rummaging around in his fridge. Clark closed the door quietly and walked through the living room, opening the swinging door that led to the kitchen as quietly as possible, his vision in x-ray mode, watching the person, who had their back to him.

There was a clink as they moved a jar aside.

"Hey Uncle Clark, don't you have anything else besides junk food?"

Clark sighed, putting his keys down on the counter.

"Nothing gets by you, does it Lena?" he said, smirking at his niece.

She straightened up and grinned at him, a jar of peanut butter in her hand.

"Well, I am my father's daughter," she said. "You can't hide much from me." She grabbed bread and went to the counter.

"Don't I know it," Clark muttered. "Lena, since when do you have a key to my apartment?"

"Since Dad had one made for me." She sighed, seeing his expression as he rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Uncle Clark. Dad's out schmoozing, and there was no way I was going to let old lady Hendricks babysit me," she added, referring to Lex's housekeeper.

"For all you knew, I could have had company."

The redhead raised an eyebrow at him.

"Like female company? You don't have a date tonight. I checked your calendar."

"Lena, you're supposed to use your powers for good, not evil," he sighed.

Lena was spreading peanut butter on the bread, generally making a mess. Clark took the knife from her and began spreading the thick paste for her.

"Geez, don't have a cow, Unc. All I did was hack into your calendar. No biggie."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at his niece.

"Don't have a cow? Sometimes, kid, you talk like a teenager, not a seven year old. I thought your father banned you from watching tv shows that were too old for you."

"Not The Simpsons," she said. "Bart says it all the time! Anyway, it's only your cable show he won't let me watch."

"With good reason. And The Simpsons?" Clark groaned. "I hate that show. It's total crap."

"It's funny," Lena protested. "Can I have jelly?"

"Blackcurrant or raspberry?" Clark asked, resigned. He was going to be babysitting whether he wanted to or not. Good thing he adored his niece.

"Blackcurrant."

"So where is your old man tonight?" Clark asked, grabbing the jelly from the fridge and spreading it over the peanut butter.

It wasn't like he kept up with Lex's social calendar, after all, he thought. Lena shrugged.

"I don't know. Some stupid charity dinner. He said he'd be home maybe around midnight."

She put the top layer of bread on and began pounding the sandwich flat. Clark watched in horrified fascination as the sandwich began to resemble ... well, he wasn't sure what, but it looked disgusting, even by his standards.

"Can I have potato chips?" Lena asked, then grabbed them from the cupboard, pulling herself up to the cupboard without bothering to wait for a reply. Clark continued to watch as she added potato chips to the sandwich on the plate.

"You're a weird kid, Lena," he said.

"That's what Dad always says about you when you were a kid."

"Oh, does he?

"Yup."

He followed his niece out to the living room where she put the plate down by the big armchair, Clark's favourite chair, and sat down. Then she jumped up.

"I forgot cookies and milk," she said.

Clark grinned and settled on the sofa as his niece ran back into the kitchen and got herself some cookies and a glass of milk. He switched on the television, flicking the channels until he found a news station he liked.

He sighed, thinking about how things had changed. Lex had met Lena's mother the second year he'd lived in Smallville. Helen Bryce had been a doctor at Smallville Medical Centre. Lex had met her when he'd been forced to attend anger management classes and he'd fallen hard for the pretty doctor. So hard, in fact, that he'd asked her to marry him.

He'd learned a few months after they'd married that Helen had been paid a lot of money by Lionel to spy on Lex. It was all part of Lionel's plan to try and keep Lex under his thumb. Angry that Helen would betray him, and despite Helen's protests that she was no longer Lionel's puppet, Lex had told her to pack her bags.

Helen had left, but Lex had confessed to Clark that he'd met up with Helen when he'd had to go to Central City for a business deal he'd been negotiating, still trying to get Lexcorp off the ground. They'd talked and ended up sleeping together. It had been a one-off thing as far as Lex was concerned, and Helen had seemed resigned to leaving it at that.

But less than a year later, Helen had contacted him. She'd sounded desperate and he had gone against his better judgment, going to meet her as she asked. Clark had tried to warn him not to go, but Lex had gone anyway. And he'd been stunned to discover that Helen had had a daughter. His daughter. There had been no doubt at all when he'd looked at the red-haired infant.

Clark had been equally stunned at Lex's sudden fatherhood when Lex had returned to Smallville with the baby.

"Is she really yours?" he'd asked, staring down at the sleeping infant in the makeshift bassinet Lex had had one of the mansion staff create.

"Helen said so, and I have no reason to doubt her."

"This is the woman who turned out to be working for Dad," Clark snorted. "Who's to say she wasn't sleeping with him too, like Victoria?"

"Where do you think the red hair came from?" Lex pointed out. "And like I said, I have no reason to doubt her."

"Why would she give her up?"

"Helen doesn't have the resources to protect Lena."

"Lena?"

"Short for Helena." Clark must have made an odd sort of grimace at the name, wondering what sort of ego trip Helen had been on to name her daughter after herself, because Lex suddenly grinned. He reached down and gently stroked the baby's cheek. She turned her head in her sleep at the light touch. "Helen knows my penchant for Greek Literature. So she named her after Helen of Troy."

"'Nuff said," Clark grinned. "And what do you mean, protect Lena?"

"Helen said to think that Lionel might have been trying to find her. Find them both." Lex looked up at Clark, his expression grim. "That's why I'm taking Dad's offer to run the European office."

"You're leaving? Lex ..."

"I have to, Clark, to protect her." He again looked down at his daughter. "Helen thinks Lionel was going to take Lena to do experiments on her."

Clark frowned at his brother. "What are you talking about? Why would he ..."

"Because of me. Because of my meteor mutation. Clark, you were too little to understand, but for the first year after the meteor shower, I spent a lot of time in and out of one of Dad's labs. He tried to tell Mom he was looking for a cure for what had happened to me, but he really just wanted to know why I'd suddenly been cured of asthma and whether the effect could be reproduced. For him it was just another money-making proposition." Lex sighed. "And I've heard rumours that he's starting the experiments up again. With others in Smallville."

"What? Since when?"

"Remember when that caretaker, Earl Jenkins, took you kids hostage in the plant?"

"Yeah. He kept talking about Level Three, which Dad said didn't exist, but ..."

"But you found it. Dad has since opened up Level Three and he's using it to experiment with the meteor rock."

Clark had been horrified to learn what his father had been up to. He'd been sorry to see Lex leave, but he'd understood that Lex had had to do whatever was necessary to protect his baby daughter. While Lionel had eventually learned of his grand-daughter, Lex had threatened to expose some of Lionel's more dirty dealings if Lionel laid even one hand on the little girl.

Clark, meanwhile, had begun digging more into Lionel's experiments. Eventually he'd managed to gather enough evidence to prove that what Lex had told him was the truth. And that had led to the final quarrel between him and his father.

Clark remembered the morning he'd been called by Lionel's assistant. Lionel had been working in the office late at night when he'd collapsed with a heart attack. The coroner who had performed the autopsy informed Clark that Lionel's death hadn't been instantaneous. It was very likely that Lionel had been unconscious for at least thirty minutes before his heart stopped beating for good. And it was only by chance that the security guard had noticed that Lionel hadn't clocked out of the building, but the lights in his office, which had motion sensors, were off.

Clark had called Lex and told him Lionel was dead. Neither one of them could feel any remorse for the old man's death. Neither was it cause for celebration.

Within two days, Lex had returned to Metropolis. Clark had met Lex at the airport and had immediately been taken with the little girl, who did seem to take after Lex in looks. His niece had initially been a little reticent, but Clark, with his ability to charm any female, had won her over. Of course, it quickly became apparent that Lena had him practically wrapped around her little finger. Not that Clark minded.

Lionel had left everything in his will to his sons. Clark chose to forego his place in the company in favour of Lex, who had far more business acumen. They'd talked about the situation at length one evening after Lena had gone to bed.

"What are you going to do, Lex?"

"I'm not going to allow Lena to be raised the same way we were, Clark. I want her to have it better than we did. So I'm going to start making some changes in the way we do business. No more unethical experiments. No criminal connections. I won't let her be exposed to that."

"It won't be popular," Clark warned him. "From what I've heard, Lionel did a lot of business with Intergang."

"Which is why I need you to keep your ears open, Clark. And I don't just mean with your super hearing. I was thinking, actually, about buying the Daily Planet."

"Why? The Planet's in financial trouble."

"Which is exactly why it is the right time to be considering it. Think about this, Clark. By owning the Planet, we can be close to the centre of the action, so to speak."

"By we, you mean me."

"Come on, Clark, do you really think your cable show's going to last forever?"

"No, maybe not. Truth is, I have been wanting to get into some serious writing."

"And this would be your chance."

Clark looked up as Lena settled into the armchair. She began munching happily on her sandwich, taking gulps of milk in between.

"Dad tells me you like a girl at work."

"And where did he get that idea?"

"Well, do you?" Lena said, her blue eyes flashing curiously at him.

"None of your beeswax, kid."

"You like her," Lena said gleefully. "I can so tell."

"Can not," he answered.

"Can too."

"Can not!" Oh god, I've regressed to a five year old, arguing with my seven year old niece on whether I like a girl! He groaned inwardly.

"You know what Shakespeare would say, don't you?" Lena asked. "Methinks thou doth protest too much."

"You shouldn't be reading Shakespeare at your age," Clark told her.

"Why not?"

"Uh ..." Truthfully, Clark couldn't think of any reason why Lena shouldn't. She'd always been advanced for her age. According to her father, anyway.

"So you gonna ask her out?" Lena asked.

"Who?"

"The girl!" Lena rolled her eyes.

"Your father told me not to," Clark said with a grin. Like that mattered.

"Yeah, sure, like you ever listen to Dad anyway," she said with an answering grin. "He's always saying you date women like they're going out of style."

"I do not," Clark protested. "And since when has your dad discussed my love life with you?"

Lena looked a little uncomfortable at that. "Well ...I've got ears." Clark tsked and shook his head at her.

"Lena, don't you know it's not nice to eavesdrop?"

"You do it all the time with your super-hearing," she pointed out.

"That's different," Clark told her, thinking: 'Pot, meet Kettle.'

Lena clearly decided it was time to change the subject and turned her attention to the television.

"Is there anything other than the news on?" she said.

"What do you want to watch?" he asked, knowing he'd have to surrender control of the remote. Lena shrugged.

"I dunno. I just like to channel surf."

"Fine." Clark handed over the remote and watched as his niece flicked through the channels. "You surf. I'll see what I can find for dinner. But I doubt you'll be hungry after that little lot."

"I'm a growing kid," she grinned, her attention only half on him. "Of course I'll be hungry."

It was shortly after midnight when Lex knocked quietly on the door. Lena was asleep on the sofa.

"Hey," Lex said. "Sorry about this. She didn't want to stay with the housekeeper. And the charity dinner was a last minute thing." That was debatable, Clark thought, but he kept those thoughts to himself. And he didn't mind babysitting his niece. She was a good kid.

Clark shrugged. "It's fine," he said. "You know I don't mind keeping her company."

"Was she any trouble?"

"No. Want any help to get her downstairs?" he asked.

"Thanks, but I think I'll manage." Clark watched as his brother lifted the sleeping girl into his arms. He turned at the door. "So, bright and early Monday?"

"Sure, Lex. See you Monday."

Lena murmured something in her sleep, snuffling and rubbing her nose on her father's shoulder.

"I better get her home. Thanks again, Clark," Lex said softly.

"You owe me," Clark smiled. "And don't think I won't collect."

"I don't doubt it," Lex said dryly. "'Night Clark."


	5. Column

Chapter Five

Lois had spent the entire weekend considering the situation. Despite what she'd told Clark, she still had her misgivings about working for a man who, even if he wasn't the devil's spawn she'd made him out to be, had dubious morals. And there was no way in hell she was going to work with a man like Clark Luthor. He was arrogant in the extreme. He knew he was good-looking and how to take full advantage of it.

She'd decided in the end to just grin and bear it. There was nothing she could do about Lex having taken over the Planet. He had been fairly clear about the Planet's financial position and in the current economic climate, despite her reputation, she would be hard-pressed to find another one. Especially since there were hundreds of other well-qualified and hard-working journalists who would be jockeying for any position going.

And it might have been her ego talking, but Lois knew her articles sold papers. Especially those on the Blur.

So she had spent the rest of the weekend trying to come up with some kind of strategy. She knew she couldn't just avoid the Luthors. That would be just plain ridiculous. She knew what her father, the General would say. 'Too bad, how sad, never mind'. In other words, get over it and move on.

She walked in to the office early on Monday morning determined to do just that. Get over it.

Cat stared at her as she strode purposefully into the bullpen on the way to her office, grabbing the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup of the truly awful coffee.

"Whoa! Somebody got up on the wrong side of bed this morning," she said.

"What do you want, Cat?" she snapped.

"Uh, nothing Lois. Um, you're just in time, actually. Perry called an editorial meeting at eight."

Which left her five minutes to psyche herself up, gather her thoughts and come up with ideas for the day.

"Mr Luthor's going to be there too," Cat continued, cringing a little. Lois wondered if Cat was afraid she was going to blow, but Lois kept her cool.

"Which Luthor?" she asked, quite calmly.

"Actually, both of them," Jeff said, reaching from behind Lois to grab the coffee pot. "I heard Clark is wanting to be more than just a columnist."

Lois smirked. "He could start in the mail room. I'd just love to be the one ordering Clark Luthor around, calling him 'copyboy'."

"No doubt you would," a voice said, just as a hand reached for a maple donut.

Lois glared at Clark with narrowed eyes as he bit into the donut, the one usually reserved for her. Cat gasped and found an excuse to quickly dart away, while Jeff turned away, pretending to look busy.

"That's a maple donut," Lois said.

"I know," Clark said, grinning widely around the mouthful of maple-iced glory. "I love 'em."

"Count to ten, Lois," she told herself. She was so sure Clark had done it on purpose. No one else in the office ever ate maple donuts.

"By the way," Clark said, his blue-green-eyed gaze sweeping appreciatively over her smart black blazer, white blouse and maroon skirt. She'd worn her hair mostly down, with the sides swept up and secured neatly at the back with a clip. "You look very pretty today Lois."

Lois rolled her eyes.

"Well, thanks for the compliment," she said, sarcasm dripping in her tone, "but I have an editorial meeting to get to."

Cat, audibly sighing in relief at the potential disaster having been averted, followed Lois up to the fourth floor.

Lois settled in her usual position – the first seat on the long side of the table, and to the right of the head where Perry usually sat. Today, however, Lex had already occupied the seat at the head. To Lois' consternation, Clark, smirking, dropped into the seat next to hers.

"We hadn't finished our conversation," he said.

"What conversation?" Lois asked, glaring at him.

"The one where I was trying to be nice," he told her.

"Oh please. The only reason you pay a woman a compliment is so she'll instantly be eating out of the palm of your hand."

"Well, it's not the palm of my hand I want her to be eating out of, now is it?" Clark said, with a quick glance to his lap.

"You're disgusting!" Lois said. "Trust me, hell would have to freeze over, pigs might have to fly, and you would have to be the last man on Earth before I would ever ..."

"Aw, now I thought we'd been making some good progress up until now," Clark said with a pout.

Lois glared at him. "You eat my donut, my donut, pay me what has to be the most insincere compliment I've ever heard and then you act like a gross, disgusting pig and you call that progress? And what the hell are you really doing here, anyway?" she accused. "Because you, my friend, are a columnist! That's the thing people do when they fail as real journalists."

"First of all, Lois, I did not know that donut was yours. I do happen to love maple donuts. I developed a thing for them when I spent some time lumberjacking in Canada. Second, I wasn't being insincere. I said you looked pretty and I meant it. And third, you are a snob, Lois Lane!"

Lois stared at him, open-mouthed, then blushed a beet red, suddenly aware of all eyes on her in the room.

Lex coughed politely. "If you two are finished, I'd like to get down to the business of the day. And why don't we start with you, Lois? Since you seem to be so talkative this morning."

Lois swallowed her embarrassment and began talking about her latest story.

"Uh, well, the mayor is coming up for re-election and word is he's been doing some dirty back-room deals. I, uh, don't have any proof, yet, but I have a source who ..."

"Who is this source?" Lex asked.

"It's confidential."

"And if I'm going to be requiring an attorney to head off some potential lawsuits, then I need to know what I'm dealing with."

"I can't tell you. All I can say is that he's an insider with Intergang."

"It's not good enough," Lex told her.

"And how do I know you're not going to take the information and spill the beans to Intergang. After all, Luthorcorp is ..." Oh shit, she thought. She'd really put her foot in it this time. Lex was utterly furious.

Everyone else in the room was pointedly looking away in embarrassment. Lois shrank under Lex's glare, not even daring to look at Clark for his reaction.

She was starting to feel like the naughty schoolgirl, waiting for the teacher to tell her to 'see me after class'.

To his credit, Lex said nothing, merely nodding slightly and moving on to the next person. Lois breathed deeply, glad for the reprieve, no matter how brief it was.

The remainder of the meeting, Lex pointedly ignored her, but Lois could see the little tic which had developed, a clear indicator of just how angry he was. Yet, even as the meeting was wound up, he still said nothing. Lois went to her office, staring at the resignation letter she'd saved the week before, wondering if she should just hand it in before he could fire her ass. She certainly deserved it.

With a sigh and a heave of her shoulders, Lois figured it was time to bite the bullet. She left the office, moving past the working reporters in the bullpen and went up the stairs to the tenth floor. She supposed she could have used the lift, but she wanted time to gather her thoughts. And the lift was always breaking down anyway.

She walked quietly along the corridor to the double doors of Lex's office, her hand formed into a fist, poised to knock. She heard raised voices coming from the office.

"Clark, I don't care what I said the other day. She might be the best damned reporter I have, but I can't have someone on the staff constantly casting aspersions on my character. The more she tries to spread stories about Luthorcorp's involvement with Intergang, the harder it's going to be for me to maintain order around here. I've already had a dozen reporters quit on me for the same reason."

"I get that, Lex, but I've already told her that you're not part of that. You're not Dad, Lex."

"It doesn't matter. People listen to her. Which means they're not going to believe that I'm sincere about cutting off all ties with Intergang."

"Since when have you cared about what people think about you?" Clark answered.

"It's not me I'm concerned about," Lex said. "You know that."

"I know. And you're right. Lena does deserve better than that. But don't fire Lois just because of what she said in the meeting. Lois speaks her mind and I like that about her. Besides, I probably set her off."

"Just what the hell did you say to her?" Lex asked, sounding weary.

Lois could hear the grin in Clark's voice.

"Well, I stole her maple donut, for one. I didn't know, Lex, I swear. I was being truthful when I told her I developed a taste for them when I worked up north."

"Even Perry could have told you they're her favourites," Lex said, chuckling.

She left the two men to it, going back down to the bullpen. She sat in her office, thinking about what Lex and Clark had said.

Clark had alluded to it the other day, but she hadn't really taken in the full implications of it. Lex was not only trying to clean up Luthorcorp, but he really was cutting off all ties with Intergang. Clark had all but confirmed it. She'd been wrong to accuse Lex the way she had. Lex was really trying to make this work.

She realised it couldn't have been easy for him. Coming home to learn the true extent of his father's misdeeds. It clearly had caused Lex a lot of heartache and a monumental amount of stress. And she was being totally unfair to him.

The second part of the conversation had her thinking what else had gone on. Just who was Lena and why was Lex so protective of her? She sat back, biting her nails, lost in thought.

A box was put down on the desk and she blinked, looking up.

"Sorry, you looked miles away," Clark said. "Peace offering. Even got you your favourite coffee. Much better than the swill in the bullpen."

Lois took the cup he handed her and sipped from the top, then looked back up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"How did you know this was my favourite?" she asked.

"I asked," he said with a shrug. He opened the box. Inside were a dozen maple donuts.

"That's ... um, a bit more than a peace offering," she said. And more than I deserve, she thought.

Clark must have interpreted her expression as he sighed and sat on the corner of her desk.

"Lois, I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't do anything."

"Except get you riled up so you spoke without thinking. Lex understands that."

"Sure he does."

"Lois, I'm not going to lie and let you accuse me or Lex of covering up the truth. The rumours are true. Lionel was involved with Intergang, and from what we can determine, it's an association that goes back years before Lex and I were even born. But we are not responsible for the choices Lionel made. I told you Lex was trying to cut all ties with them the other day and I meant it."

"I know, but ..."

"I also told you that it could put Lex in danger if word got out what he was trying to do. Can you understand that?"

"You don't think someone in the Planet might ..."

"Honestly? I don't know. It's always a concern for Lex, though."

"Lex? What about you? I mean, wouldn't it make you a target too?"

Clark grinned. "Worried about me?" he snickered.

"You wish," she told him.

"Save the concern, Lois. I'm big enough and ugly enough to take care of myself."

"Hardly ugly," Lois muttered.

Clark peered at her. "Sorry? Didn't catch that."

But why did she get the awful feeling he really did catch what she'd said. She said nothing to him, shaking her head instead.

"Anyway," Clark continued, "I know it was only one donut, but consider the rest a bribe. I was hoping you'd take a look at my first column."

Lois, who had grabbed a donut and bitten into it, stared at him in surprise. She practically had to pry her lips apart –her mouth full of the sticky treat.

"'Ooo wmm me do hmmm?"

Clark snickered. Lois chewed quickly then swallowed.

"You want me to what?"

"Look at my column," he said. "Just the syntax and the flow. Don't worry too much about the content."

He handed her a couple of pages, then stood up. Lois stared at him.

"You're not staying?"

"Nah. Have a lunch date," he said. "And no, I'm not going to tell you with whom."

Lois sighed and sat back, holding up the pages and beginning to read.

_The Truth About Men and Women_

_By_

_Clark Luthor_

_I'm going to start this by saying that certain individuals have accused me of being a misogynist. I don't hate women. I love them. All women. I just don't see the need for a monogamous relationship. Call me sexist but the women I date know the score and they don't appear to mind._

_Now to the point of this column, which is, the truth about men and women. And here's the kicker folks. Men are not from Mars and women are not from Venus, okay? There's no need for a book explaining the difference between men and women. It's a fact. Sure, there are the obvious, physical differences. But let's be realistic here. Men and women are different. End of story. _

_Back in the sixties, women burned their bras and fought for equality. In the eighties, it was the catchphrase that 'women could do anything men could do'. I don't dispute that. Hell, women are in a lot of ways smarter than men because they can do several things at once. They multi-task. Most men can't. It's almost like a physical impossibility._

_But all this talk of equality, and women can do anything has led men to believe they've had their balls cut off. Take my buddy AC, for instance. He's a good-looking guy. Loves women. Last week, he acted the gentleman and opened the door for a lady and she glared at him like he was a pervert or something. I ask you, what is wrong with opening a door for a lady?_

_It's like now we men don't have the first clue of what is expected of us when it comes to how we treat women. If we behave like gentlemen, opening doors for them, pulling out their seats for them, we get accused of doing something wrong._

_Yet, if we are up front and honest with the women, telling them we're only interested in screwing their brains out, we're wrong on that score too. So enlighten us, please, ladies. Which is it to be?_

_And here's something else that's got men by the balls. Women in power have all the power. I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't see anything bad about a woman being on top. In all the ways that count. But not when she's got her guy by the balls._

_Here's another example. I'll call this couple Brad and Jen. Now Jen is a top surgeon at a local hospital. She's damn good at her job and deserves every one of the accolades she gets. But Brad is also a top surgeon. Now the thing is, this couple, although they've been married for years, haven't had sex in months. It's not that Brad doesn't want to. He's still in love with his wife. Or so he says. But she's always too exhausted from the long day at work and he's always too afraid of messing up the status quo to call her on it. This isn't a marriage. This is roommates who happen to sleep in the same bed. And Jen has all the power in the relationship. And it was headed for the skids._

_So I got the two of them together. I got Brad to arrange for them both to have the day off on the same day. Of course, Jen decided there was something she simply had to do at work and couldn't take the day off after all. I told Brad to put his foot down. Take charge. Basically grab her and screw her brains out. Remind her of why they got together in the first place._

_End result. It worked. One marriage saved. Just call me Doctor Clark. _

Lois had to admit that Clark was a good writer. And despite the sometimes crude way he had, he got his point across.

She found Clark later that day in a small office in the op-ed section of the Planet. She handed the pages back to him, all with her suggestions for changes underlined in red pen.

Clark looked at the marks and made a face.

"Gee, don't hold anything back," he said.

"Don't think of them as notes of discouragement," she grinned. "Think of them as notes of encouragement. You've got potential Luthor," she said, slapping his arm playfully.

"Tell me what you really think," he said, as she got up and walked toward the door.

She turned and looked at him.

"I think you made a few, uh, valid points," she told him.


	6. Drinks

Chapter Six

Clark was a lot of things, but he was no pushover. He knew what Lois was thinking. Exactly what he wanted her to think. That he was a nice guy. That he was willing to stand up to Lex for her. Little did she know that he'd known she had been standing in the corridor. The truth was, he wanted her to stay at the Daily Planet. It meant she was accessible.

He knew getting Lois to go to bed with him was going to be a challenge. But he liked a challenge. And he would use anything, including bribery, to break down those walls around Lois Lane.

She kept men at a distance. And he had to wonder who had hurt her so badly that she kept those walls around her. He knew about her upbringing with her father. Sam Lane could be a harsh man when he wanted to be. There was no doubt that Sam loved his daughters. But he was a man's man and he lacked the softness that both Lois and Lucy would have needed when they had been going through the pangs of adolescence. But it couldn't have been Sam, he decided.

Lex came in, handing him the final draft of the column.

"It's good, Clark. Ballsy. And well-written. You might have potential after all."

"That's what Lois said."

Lex looked at him and sighed. "Clark, you better not be contemplating doing what I think you're contemplating. I told you, Lois is off-limits."

"You didn't think that when it was Lana," Clark said, a bitter tone in his voice.

"You already know what happened with her. And you cannot solely put the blame on me, Clark. Lana chose to dump you and come to me. Mind you, if you'd acted less like an asshole and more like a Luthor, then it would have been different."

Clark still had reason to be bitter. He and Lex hadn't got along at the best of times when they'd been younger, but the discovery that Lana, after she'd dumped him for his secrets, had met up with Lex in Europe and had a brief affair with him had rankled. It had caused a huge fight between the brothers, bringing up petty jealousies they'd both been feeling for years.

However, Lex had discovered that Lana had only gone to him to hurt Clark and he'd thrown her out. The brothers had had a long talk about it and for the first time, the brothers had been honest with each other and had finally become not just brothers, but friends.

"Aren't they one and the same? Assholes and Luthors?" Clark asked. "Almost like a biological imperative."

"Touche, Clark." His brother looked steadily at him. "I thought you were over that, anyway."

"I am. I was just ... you ever notice how prickly Lois can be?"

Lex rolled his eyes with an expression reminiscent of his daughter's 'Well duh!' expression.

"What I meant was," Clark continued, "she puts up a lot of walls around herself."

"So what if she does? Maybe that's what makes her the good reporter she is. Even if she does open her mouth a little too quickly."

"You're not still mad at her?" Clark asked.

Lex shrugged. "Perhaps. But as you reminded me, she acted without thinking and was genuinely remorseful. And she is still the best reporter on staff. By far."

Clark frowned at his brother.

"You sound almost like you admire her."

"What if I did?" Lex returned. "She's a highly intelligent, very astute woman. Not to mention very beautiful. But I have no intention of dating her Clark. I'll leave the breaking of hearts to you. And quite frankly, I'm too busy trying to keep Lena out of trouble to worry about a girlfriend."

"Lena's a good kid, Lex."

Lex grinned. "She really does have you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?"

"I could say the same about you, Papa Bear," Clark grinned back.

One of Lena's favourite stories when she'd been little was Goldilocks, and she'd taken to calling her father Papa Bear. She still did when she wanted to tease her father. And Clark took full advantage of it every chance he got. Lex indulged his daughter, never letting her want for anything. But for all that, she wasn't spoiled. Lex was a better father than Lionel had ever been to his sons.

Clark leaned back in the chair, putting his feet up on the desk. Lex growled.

"Act like a gentleman," he admonished, sighing. "Not like a Neanderthal. Although, that's probably an insult to Neanderthals."

"Hey!" Clark returned to protest.

"You know what Mom used to say. Feet belong ..."

"On the floor not on the furniture," Clark said simultaneously. "I miss her."

It had been nineteen years since Lillian Luthor had died, leaving the two boys practically orphans. Clark had been six years old, or a close approximation, when Lillian died, but he had fond memories of the redhead. She might not have given him life, but she had loved him just the same.

"I miss her too," Lex said wistfully.

Lex had been away at boarding school when it had happened. He'd been so excited at the thought of being a big brother again, and had been completely devastated when he'd learned the news. And the way he'd been told had been horrid. Lionel hadn't even seen fit to go to the school personally and tell his eldest son what had happened. Instead, Lex had found out when a reporter had somehow managed to get through the school gates, pulling Lex aside, and asking him for a comment on the death of his mother.

That, and Lionel's indifference, had sent Lex on a downward spiral and by the time he was sixteen, he was so far off the rails it seemed nothing would bring him back. Even being forced to run the fertiliser plant in Smallville, the scene of his worst nightmares, hadn't been enough to pull him back into line.

When Lex had finally opened up about the accident which had nearly killed him, and his past misdeeds, Clark realised that the accident had shaken his brother very badly.

"I got a good look at myself," Lex had told him. "And I didn't like it."

In Clark's case, it had been different. He'd thought nothing could touch him. He'd been too cocky, too self-assured, thinking nothing could touch him, until he learned the truth about his father's experiments. He'd realised it was only going to be a matter of time before Lionel chose to turn on him.

"So what are you planning for your next column?" Lex asked.

"You don't seriously expect me to write a column every day, do you?"

"Depends on the readers' reactions," Lex said. "You never know. I could end up with egg on my face."

Clark shook his head.

"I don't know, Lex. Your instincts are usually right."

"Be still my heart," Lex retorted.

Clark grinned in return. He got up and grabbed his jacket.

"Let's go eat. I'm starved."

Lex sighed. "You're always hungry. I suppose that means I'm buying?" he said, following Clark out the door.

"How'd you know?" Clark teased.

"Lucky guess!"

It had become something of a ritual for the brothers. Unless Lex had a function to go to, they would meet after work at the Ace of Clubs for a couple of drinks. If it hadn't been for his daughter, Lex would have gone back to work, staying until late. But the brothers had grown up neglected by a workaholic father and Clark knew that Lex had vowed he would never do that with Lena. So he always made sure he was home at a reasonable time.

He still had his social obligations, or schmoozing, as Lena called it. It was something that couldn't be helped. But he never pushed Clark into attending. Clark had never been comfortable dressing up in monkey suits, ie tuxedos, and he still preferred hanging out in clubs, checking out the 'talent' rather than hobnobbing with, as he called them, the rich and shameless. Both brothers were well aware that most people were only interested in what they could get out of the Luthors, rather than actually getting to know them.

Friday night found the brothers in the Ace of Clubs. Lex's instincts were right. Clark's column already had a huge following. Some of the letters that had come in had been negative, but a huge percentage had been positive. And most of those were from women.

Lex smiled at his brother as he picked up his glass of scotch.

"You're a hit, little brother," he said.

"Not so much on the little," Clark returned, clinking his bottle of beer with his brother's glass.

Lex frowned at the bottle.

"Why do you always drink domestic beer? Couldn't you go for something with a little more, uh, class?"

"It's all about getting in with the common people, Lex. Something you'd do well at if you weren't so uptight."

"I'm uptight?" Lex looked surprised.

"Look at you with your three-piece suits and your stiff posture. When do you ever relax, Lex?"

"I relax. At home."

"You need to get laid."

"I've got a daughter to take care of. I'm not going to bring in some strange woman ..."

Clark sighed. Lex just didn't get it. Okay, so he had to take care of his daughter. But Lena was old enough to understand that her father had needs too.

He glanced around, catching the eye of a brunette in the corner. She was attractive. Not as attractive as Lois, but good enough for scratching an itch.

And speaking of Lois, he thought, spying her coming in through the main doors. She was on her own. Clark was torn between wanting to flirt with the brunette and wanting to talk to Lois.

Lex saw Lois too and he quickly put a hand on Clark's wrist.

"Don't," he warned.

Lois had backed down considerably since her ill-timed outburst earlier in the week. She had become totally focused on the story she was working on and had been on her best behaviour around Lex. Clark guessed that she had been mortified at losing control the way she had, and that had been partly his fault.

Clark ignored his brother's warning.

"Lois," he called out. "Come and join us."

Lois heard his call and came over.

"Clark. Lex," she said coolly.

"What are you drinking?" Clark asked.

"That depends. Are you buying?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Then I'll have a Mai Tai."

Lex raised his eyebrows. "Feeling adventurous?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said, sitting down at their table. Clark waved the waitress over and ordered the cocktail.

"Congratulations on the story, Lois," Clark said.

Lois' story had hit the front page that morning. She'd done a thorough job, getting the proof she needed, and the mayor's office was now under investigation. Of course, that meant that Lois would now be a target. Especially from Intergang.

"Doesn't it worry you," Lex asked, "that they might come after you? Now that you've exposed them?"

Lois shrugged. "I didn't win the Kerth Award by standing back and letting someone else do all the work. The general taught me that if you want a job done right, you get in and do it yourself. Even if it means getting a little soiled."

"Still, it must put you in a few, uh, dangerous situations," Clark said.

He should know, since he'd had to rescue her a couple of times from those dangerous situations.

"Well, I admit that I have come close, but I manage to get out of it." The brothers both looked at her dubiously and she looked a little uncomfortable under their mutual stares. "Okay, so the Blur's helped me out a couple of times."

"The Blur, huh?" Lex said with a surreptitious glance at Clark. "Any idea who he is?"

Clark dearly wanted to kick his brother under the table, but didn't dare with Lois so close. The waitress brought over her drink and she sipped it.

"That's the thing. No one knows who the Blur is because he moves too fast for anyone to see him. My cousin thinks he might have come from Smallville."

"Why Smallville?"

"Well, I guess you'd know Chloe went to high school in Smallville. And there were always these funny green meteor rocks. She said they changed people."

"And you think the Blur is one of these changed people?" Lex said, sounding interested.

Clark made a sound low in his throat, trying to get his brother off the subject before either he or Lois did something stupid.

Lois shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, Smallville's a weird town, but it can't all be the meteor rocks."

"Ahh, of course, I forgot that you hold Luthorcorp responsible for, how did you put it, poisoning the environment?"

"Well, you have to admit that it's awfully coincidental that all these weird things started to happen right when Luthorcorp started up the fertiliser plant."

"And the meteor shower happening at the same time had nothing to do with it?" Lex said, bristling visibly.

"Oh come on, meteors fall all the time all over the world. You don't see people going psycho anywhere else."

"I was in that meteor shower," Lex said defensively, "and I can unequivocally state that the meteor shower was directly responsible for my affliction."

Lois frowned at him. "What affliction? Being bald? How is that an affliction?"

Clark figured it was time to step in before things got out of hand. He got up, grabbing Lois by the hand and pulling her up.

"Clark, what are you doing?"

"Shutting you up before you get yourself fired," he growled.

"What did I say?"

"Lex happens to be very sensitive about his baldness. And you need to learn when to back off."

Lois shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with it," she said. "Lex is a good-looking man."

Clark hesitated. Was Lois attracted to his brother? He was hit by a sickening wave of jealousy.

"Not that I'd want to date him," Lois continued hastily, making Clark wonder if she'd seen his expression. "I mean, he's not my idea of the perfect guy."

Clark smirked.

"That's right, I forgot. Your mister perfect is the type to take you out to a romantic dinner, or a monster truck rally. Yeah, Lex wouldn't be caught dead at a monster truck rally."

"Unlike you, Clark?" she said. "My mister perfect is out there. And I'll find him."

"Well, I wish you luck, Lane. I mean, I'd hate the thought of you spending your nights alone with only your ... pussy to keep you company."

Lois glared at him, not missing the innuendo in that statement.

"I repeat what I said to you on that show. You are a sexist, misogynist jerk and I hate you!"

With that she turned on her heel and left. Clark smirked and sat back down at the table. Lex was grinning at him, shaking his head.

"You sure can pick 'em little brother."


	7. Trouble

Chapter Seven

Lois felt like stomping through the streets, in a foul temper, as she walked along the wet pavement to find a taxi home. It had been raining heavily for the last half hour, which just added to her sour mood.

A taxi passed by and she looked up, yelling and waving her arm.

"Taxi!"

The yellow cab continued on by her, wheels splashing in a huge puddle from a blocked drain, soaking her almost to her waist. Lois stood there, wanting to scream, water dripping off her skirt.

Damn Clark Luthor and his stupid handsome face. It was his fault she was in such a bad mood. And what was his obsession with her ... pussy. She felt her face growing hot as she remembered the way he said it. He'd given her this look, like he was undressing her with his eyes. Augh! she said to herself. She hated it when men did that.

But the thing that aggravated her most of all was the fact that Clark was the type of guy she would have been very attracted to. Minus the arrogance, of course. Just in the few days they'd spent at the office, she'd actually found herself liking the younger Luthor. Of course, then he had to go and spoil things with his arrogant, 'look at me I'm so sexy' attitude.

Of course Lois had noticed he was sexy. Extremely sexy. And she wasn't the only one. All the girls in the office were going wild over the brunet. And Cat just kept gushing in that way too perky manner of hers. Lois hated that perkiness. She and Cat had never really got along at the best of times and she found the blonde annoying.

Continuing to walk, hugging herself against the cold and wet, Lois grumbled. It looked like she was going to be in for a long walk home.

A car approached, its headlights at full beam, practically blinding her. She thought the car was going to pass and she braced herself for yet another splash. But the car stopped. It was a four door Buick sedan. Black. Lois stared at it as three men got out of the car.

"Miss Lane? The mayor's office would like to talk to you. About your article in this morning's paper."

Great! That was just wonderful, Lois thought. Not only was she having a bad night, but it was about to get worse. There was no way she could fight three guys off. Not in her skirt. It was a pencil skirt, mid-calf length, and it gave her little room to manoeuvre in a fight. But she stepped back, preparing to kick off her shoes.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you Miss Lane."

Lois stared as the man who'd spoken put his hand on his hip, pulling back his jacket. It was dark, but she caught the glint of metal from the streetlight above. Damn! He had a gun.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she told him firmly.

"I think you have little choice in the matter," the man said. "We are prepared to take you by force."

"You know, this isn't helping change my mind about the mayor's guilt," she told him, trying to keep him talking, while looking around frantically for a police car, or anyone who could help.

"We're not here to change your mind, Miss Lane. The mayor thinks you have been a thorn in his side for far too long."

"Oh he does, does he? And what do you think his chances of re-election are going to be if I suddenly turn up dead?"

"What makes you think there'll be a body to find?" the man said threateningly.

Lois stared at the man, her heart pounding. The other two men had flanked her, grabbing her arms. She felt them pushing her toward the car. Lois struggled, but the men's grips were too strong.

Where's the Blur when you need him? she prayed silently.

She was forced into the middle of the backseat, two men on either side, while the man who had spoken sat in the front seat beside the driver. One good thing about Buicks, she decided, was that they left plenty of room. But it didn't help her situation any.

She bit her lip, wondering how on Earth she was going to get out of this. The Blur obviously wasn't going to help her. She had to rely on her own brain, her own cunning.

The car stopped twenty minutes later and Lois recognised the area. They were by the docks. She was made to get out and shoved toward some shipping containers. The mayor and a man she recognised as an Intergang goon, stepped out from behind one of the containers.

"Lois Lane. I have to admit, you're even prettier than your photograph."

"I'm flattered," she said dryly. "You won't ..."

The man snorted. "Oh spare us the tired old 'you won't get away with this'. Thanks to your story this morning, my hopes for re-election have been as they say, well and truly scuppered."

"You mean, the people finally realised that if you hang with scum, you're just going to be tarred with the same brush." She directed most of that comment at the man from Intergang.

"I've heard you were a feisty one, Lane," the goon said. "Pity. You could have been more use to us alive."

"I'd never work for the likes of you," she told him angrily.

The man just shrugged and nodded to the first man who had brought her.

"Shoot her. Get it over with."

"What? No small talk? No chit chat? No clichéd 'bad guy spilling the beans' routine?" Lois sighed. "I feel so cheap."

"Well you ..." The man was suddenly cut off by yells from the two men by the car. "What the ..."

Lois' heart skipped a beat. Was it him? Had he come to her rescue?"

Lois looked around, but saw nothing but a blur as her rescuer grabbed all the men, including the mayor. And before she could move, all the men were effectively tied up, a huge metal pole bent around them, holding them in place. All six men looked completely dazed, shaking their heads as if trying to work out what the hell had happened.

She looked around and saw a figure, silhouetted against the dark shadows of the buildings around them. He didn't say anything. She had the feeling she owed him for more than tonight.

"Thank you," she called out. He nodded briefly and was gone.

It was another three hours before Lois made it home. One of the detectives who had been called to the scene had dropped her off home.

"You going to be all right, Miss Lane?" Detective John Jones asked.

"I'll be fine. Hot shower, warm bed. Just fine."

"Well be sure and get a good night's sleep. We have your statement so we won't need to talk to you again in the morning. It's a good thing for you the Blur came along."

"Yeah. Lucky," she said. "Thank you for the ride, detective."

The African-American man nodded and smiled, showing white teeth.

"Sleep well, Miss Lane."

Lois opened her door and kicked off her wet shoes, then went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, stripping quickly and getting in under the hot water. Ahh, bliss, she thought.

She normally took marathon showers lasting at least an hour, but tonight she was too tired to do more than just wash the grime off her body and warm the chill off her skin. Yawning as she dried off and changed into long-sleeved pyjamas, she glanced at the clock on the night stand. It was almost one. No wonder she was exhausted. Good thing tomorrow was Saturday and she could sleep in.

She had no sooner turned out the lights and rolled over, fluffing her pillow, when her cellphone rang. Groaning, she rolled over again and switched on the bedside lamp. Who could be calling her at this time of night? She glanced at the screen but it said 'number withheld'.

"'Lo?"

"Good evening, Miss Lane. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Who is this?" she asked. The voice sounded distorted.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Miss Lane. I wasn't sure if I would get there in time."

She sat up suddenly. It was him!

"It's you! I mean, you're ... The Blur." She said it almost reverently, as if she was worshipping him.

"Yes, Miss Lane. I heard you were in trouble and I got there as quickly as I could."

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome."

"I guess I never thanked you for those other times," she told him. "So, um, thank you."

"You're welcome. Again." She heard the smile in his voice. "I know it's late, Miss Lane, so I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight."

"Oh, goodnight," she said.

The phone clicked off and she lay back with a huge smile on her face. Then she twisted her pillow, laying on her side as she snuggled down to sleep.

The phone ringing the next morning woke her up. Lois rolled over and looked at the clock, groaning. It was nine o'clock. She reached for the phone on her nightstand, sweeping it to the floor.

"Mmm?"

"Lane, why the hell didn't you call me last night?"

"Huh? What?"

"It's Perry, Lane. You should have called me last night."

"Perry, I filed the story."

She had called in the story while waiting at the police station for the detective to finish taking statements, dictating it over the phone to one of the interns.

Lois sat up in the bed, yawning. Perry was going full throttle, yelling at her about once again putting herself in danger.

"Chief, I'm okay," she said, knowing the older man's rantings were really just his way of telling her he cared about her. Perry might act hard as nails but he had a soft spot for her.

She heard the rap of the door knocker and shoved back the bedclothes, holding the phone to her ear.

"Perry, someone's at the door," she said.

"I want you in my office in thirty minutes, Lane. You hear me?"

"Yes, chief. Thirty minutes."

Switching the phone off, Lois slipped her feet into her bunny slippers. Yawning, she made her way to the door, unlocking it. She realised she'd forgotten to put the chain on when the door opened wide to reveal Clark standing on the doormat, grinning.

"Nice pyjamas, Lane," he smirked.

Lois stared at him, eyes wide, gasping, then slammed the door in his face. Oh god. He really didn't need to see her like this.

Crap, she thought. Where was her robe? And her brush? Her hair must look like a rat's nest. It would not be any good if Clark Luthor saw her looking at anything other than her best.

"Lane, open the door. Come on, I've already seen you in your snugly-wuglies."

Snugly-wuglies? Oh, he was going to be so dead when she got hold of him. She flung open the door.

"What do you want?" she snapped. Then saw he was holding the paper in his hands.

"Something you want to tell me, Lane?"

"Why do I have to tell you anything?" she retorted. "You're not my boss. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get dressed. Perry wants to see me in his office. In twenty-five minutes."

She went to her bedroom, muttering to herself. There was no way she was going to be able to shower, dress in something halfway decent, put on make-up, and get to Perry's office in under twenty-five minutes. It was a physical impossibility.

"I'll drive you," Clark offered. "And I'm sure Perry wouldn't mind you showing up looking like that. You look cute."

Lois turned and glared at him. How dare he follow her into her bedroom.

"Get out," she said, shoving him out the door. "Don't you know it's rude to walk into someone's bedroom without being invited?"

"Is that the rule?" he asked.

"Lois Lane's rules," she told him firmly. "Get out!"

Clark chuckled. "Going," he said. "But hurry up. Lex is on the warpath as well."

Lois stared at him. "What?"

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Lane. He's really pissed at you."

"Hey, it's not my fault the mayor was doing the dirty with Intergang."

"You have a bad habit of getting into dangerous situations, Lois."

Lois snorted. "Oh, don't pretend you care, Luthor. The only reason you're saying any of this is so you can get me into bed with you. I know you, Clark Luthor," she said, poking him in the chest, forcing him to back away. He kept wincing as if it hurt him.

Lois slammed the bedroom door on him and went into the bathroom, splashing water on her face and quickly brushing her teeth. She had no time now for a shower.

She grabbed her hairbrush and restored some order to her hair, leaving her face bare of make-up. Lex and Perry would just have to lump it. Saturday was her day off.

Lois went to the closet and put on a pair of her jeans – her oldest pair, with the back so worn and thin she wouldn't have been surprised if they'd torn. The jeans were a little tight, fitting snugly, but she had no time to find something better. A top and shirt were next and she thrust her feet into espadrilles.

Clark was sitting looking extremely relaxed in her favourite armchair, petting the cat, which was sitting on his knee, as she emerged from the bedroom.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go," she said.

Clark looked at her. "You're going wearing that?" he asked.

"So?" she snapped.

"Uh, nothing. Forget I said anything."

Lois went to the door. Clark stood up, disturbing the cat, which hissed in protest. She got the feeling he was checking out her ass.

"Quit that," she told him.

"Quit what? Checking out your ass? You have a nice ass."

"And it's my ass, so I say quit it."

"Well, maybe you should have worn something other than those jeans, because you are just about busting out of them with that sexy ass of yours." And Clark demonstrated by patting her backside.

"That's it. I'm changing," she said.

"You don't have time," he told her, pointing to the clock.

Shit! He was right. It had already taken her twenty minutes. They had less than ten to get to the office, which was at least twenty blocks east of her apartment.

Parked outside was a Ford Bronco. Lois looked at Clark.

"You drive a Bronco?"

"What were you expecting? A Lamborghini?"

"Uh, well, I ..."

"Do you really see me squeezing myself into a Lamborghini?"

Well, she thought. He did have a rather large frame. Not that he was fat. Far from it. Athletic, more like. Muscular. And not like those guys who spent all their time at the gym working out with weights. And what the hell was she doing, checking out his body? Snap out of it, Lane, she told herself, getting in when Clark opened the door for her.

Minutes later, they pulled up in the underground parking of the Daily Planet. Lois didn't wait for Clark as she walked quickly toward the lift and pressed the button to summon the car.

"Wait, Lois!" Clark called, but the lift doors opened and she got in, pressing the button for Perry's floor.

She was surprised to find Clark coming up the final flight of stairs as she walked out of the lift. He had obviously run up them but he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" he grumbled.

"What are you? My bodyguard now?" she shot back.

She knocked on Perry's door and went in. Perry looked up from the desk where he was going over some prints with Lex.

"About time you got here, Lane. You want to tell me what happened last night?"

"It's all in the story, Chief," she said.

Lex looked at her evenly. "Why do I get the feeling you're not telling us everything?"

"Okay, so maybe I left out the fact that the Blur saved me," she said.

"He what?" Lex looked startled. For some inexplicable reason, he looked at Clark. Lois frowned at the brothers, but said nothing.

"The Blur rounded them all up and saved me from being shot. I didn't put that in the story because not everyone thinks he's a hero."

"And you do, I suppose?" Clark said.

"Well, he did save my life. And he's done so before."

"Goddamnit Lane, how many times have I told you not to get into these situations."

"I just wrote the truth, Perry."

Lex shook his head. "Lois, you're a good reporter. One of the best, in my opinion. But you are going to get yourself killed. Look, I'm not being sexist, but the fact that you are a woman has a lot to do with it. Now Perry and I have discussed this at length and we decided to assign you a partner."

"What? No. No way in hell," she said.

"Lois, there is no negotiation on this. You either work with a partner or the only thing you'll be writing is puff pieces."

Lois sighed heavily. "Fine. Don't let it be said that I'm not a team player. Who's it going to be?"

Lex looked over her shoulder, smirking, then nodded.

"Clark."

"What? No! I'm not working with him! He's a columnist!"

"Clark wants to learn the more serious side of writing and you are the best reporter to teach him," Lex told Lois. "And he might just be able to keep you out of trouble."

"Yeah, good luck," Clark snorted.


	8. Partners

Chapter Eight

Clark watched Lois' face redden, but he couldn't tell whether it was anger or embarrassment, or something else. She looked like she was going to protest, but Lex had made himself fairly clear. Lois bit her lip, looking at Lex, then nodded.

"Fine!" she said. "But don't expect me to like it."

She turned on her heel and started toward the door.

"Lane!" Perry barked.

She turned again and stared at her boss.

"Chief?"

"I realise today is your day off, but I want a follow up. This is too hot a story to let lie until Monday."

"Yes sir," she ground out.

"And Lane," Lex said, his mouth twitching, but managing to keep a straight face, "while I am aware that we left you barely enough time to make yourself decent, try to remember there is a dress code." He looked her over, his gaze sweeping over the tight, faded jeans.

Lois reddened, then made a growl low in her throat before she turned once more, hair flying and walked out the door.

Clark turned back and looked at Lex.

"You really serious about this?" he asked.

Lex didn't respond. He turned to Perry.

"I think that will do for now," he said. "Clark, we need to talk."

"Now?" Clark asked.

Lex rolled his eyes. "No, Clark. Next century." He strode to the door and walked out, not bothering to see if Clark was following.

Clark sighed and shrugged, following his brother. He caught up with Lex in the corridor.

"Lex, what the hell ..."

Lex put a finger on his lips and shook his head. "Wait until we're in my office," he said.

Clark frowned, but continued walking, keeping his thoughts to himself. Lex pressed the button to summon the lift and the doors opened quickly, almost as if Lex's summons was more important than anyone else's. Clark followed his brother into the elevator car and waited quietly while Lex pressed the button for the top floor.

Less than two minutes later they were in Lex's office. It had been freshly painted when Lex had taken it over and it still smelled of paint. The wooden desk still had that new smell that Clark had always loved.

"Close the door please, Clark," Lex said quietly.

Clark did so, wondering why Lex was so quiet. He watched as his brother passed a weary hand over his eyes, sinking down into his chair.

"Lex ..."

"Clark, I want to know what the hell you were thinking last night. If Lois had seen you ..."

"But she didn't. She only saw my silhouette."

"That's not the point."

"Did you want me to let her get herself killed?"

"I would have preferred if she hadn't got into that situation last night, but there's nothing we can do to change that. And for you to call her ..."

Clark stared at his brother. How had Lex known he'd called Lois? He'd wanted to make sure she was okay. J'onn had let him know he'd dropped Lois off at home, but he had been a little concerned about her. Clark was just following up.

Lex sighed.

"I don't get you sometimes, Clark. You act like an asshole, especially toward Lois, but then you go and rescue her. Anyone else would have, I don't know, demanded something in return. But not you. And don't try to tell me this is all about getting her to go to bed with you. Usually if you haven't got the girl within a week, you lose interest."

"Are you saying I shouldn't use my abilities to help people?"

"The old man would be turning over in his grave if he knew."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Right. This is a man who experimented on people because of their abilities. And who knows what he would have done to me if he'd lived? Or if I hadn't found out what he was doing."

Lex leaned forward in his seat.

"Clark, I'm not saying you shouldn't be out there helping people. God knows you've had to help me out a few times, especially in Smallville. But damn it, you need to be more careful. Especially now."

"Yeah, whose idea was it for me to team up with Lois?"

"Perry's. Well, Perry's and mine. I meant what I said in there. Lois has a penchant for getting into trouble, and you're probably the only one who can keep her out of trouble."

"The other reporters aren't going to buy it, Lex. You get that, right?"

"I don't care what other reporters think. And you did say you wanted to get into the serious side of journalism. Or did you waste all those years at college on a journalism degree?"

"Of course not, Lex."

Lionel had had almost an apoplectic fit when he'd learned that Clark had decided to major in journalism at college. But despite what had happened between him and Chloe, Clark had enjoyed his brief sojourn working with the feisty blonde reporter on the school newspaper and had discovered a talent for writing.

It was the one thing that he had to work at. Unlike all his other abilities, writing well didn't come easily and it had been a source of considerable pride when he'd managed to score high marks on his essays. Lex was the only one he had ever told about that.

Clark had spent his first year of college generally causing as much mayhem as he could. His fellow students had been at least three years older than him and he had done anything to ensure his age was not an issue with them. It was only when Lionel had begun threatening to send him to college overseas, or even, Clark thought, god forbid, military school, that he had started to actually knuckle down. Not that he had to work that hard. Anything like maths and science was a breeze.

In many ways, Clark had been the spoiled brat Lex had once accused him of being. The more he could do to piss off his father, the better, he'd decided. Lionel had been even more pissed to learn that Clark had shown not only an interest, but also an aptitude for writing. Clearly Lionel had thought Clark would follow him into business, as Lex had done. But by then, Clark had virtually turned his back on his father.

After graduation, Clark had tried for a job as a reporter, but the Luthor name had been a huge stumbling block. Although Clark had had the feeling that Lionel had a lot to do with that as well. Not that it worried Clark that much. He had inherited his portion of his mother's estate when he'd turned eighteen. It wasn't billions of dollars, but it was enough for him not to need to work if he so chose.

Six months after he'd graduated, Clark's birth father, Jor-El, had called him to go for training. He spent a year in the fortress, then the next few years travelling around taking odd jobs and writing freelance articles, returning to Metropolis about a year before Lionel had suffered the fatal heart attack.

Clark left Lex's office after promising his brother that he would be careful around Lois. The last thing he wanted to do was reveal his Blur identity to her. He made his way down to Lois' office. She was on the phone, arguing with someone.

"Oh, come on, Mitch, you can't tell me ..." There was an audible click on the other end and Lois was staring at the phone, blinking rapidly. "He hung up on me. I can't believe he hung up on me."

Clark grinned. "You know, talking to yourself is never a good sign."

Lois looked up at him, then pointedly turned away. Oh, this was going to be fun, he thought. Clark moved to sit on the edge of the desk. Lois turned and snarled at him and he quickly moved away, raising his hands.

"Okay, I surrender," he said.

"You are not funny!"

Clark sighed. "Come on, Lois, you think I like this any more than you do?"

Lois snorted. "Sure. You had nothing to do with it. Right."

"I didn't Lois," he told her. "The first I heard of it was in Perry's office."

Lois looked at him, her eyes doing an odd little dance as she searched his face. Then she relented.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. But I still don't have to like it."

Clark chose to let that one go.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Trying to get some comment from the mayor's office about the arrest last night."

"That the guy who hung up on you?" Clark asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe we should try a frontal assault," he said. "I happen to know a girl in the mayor's office."

"Let me guess. You slept with her?"

Clark grinned. "I cannot tell a lie."

Lois snorted. "If it's the same as every other time you sleep with one of your groupies, we'll never get any comment."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think? And groupies?"

"What else would you call the women who make goo goo eyes at you? I saw that woman in the Ace of Clubs last night. So tell me, Clark, when I was busy getting kidnapped by the mayor's henchman last night, where were you? In the back of the Ace of Clubs getting down and dirty with the brunette?"

If she only knew, he thought. He smirked at her.

"Jealous?"

"Of some bimbo? You wish!"

"They're not all bimbos," Clark said, feeling a little uncomfortable. Okay, so the women weren't exactly geniuses, but they weren't all empty-headed Barbies either.

"What about that blonde you were photographed with last month?" Lois asked. "She looked like all her brains were in her implants."

Clark frowned. "Which blonde?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I know you date women like they're going out of style, but even you couldn't forget Miss Plastic Fantastic. It was at the premiere last month."

Oh, that blonde. He'd taken her to the premiere as a favour to Lex, who was 'wooing' the girl's father in a business deal. Now she really had been a bimbo. She'd practically shoved her double-D implants in his face and begged him to fuck her. An immediate turn-off. Clark might date a lot of women, but he preferred them more 'real' than something that came from a bottle or a surgeon's knife.

When he'd turned her down, she'd gone to her father and spun some sob story. Her father had gone to Lex telling him that his daughter had accused Clark of assaulting her. Clark had told Lex exactly what had happened.

"I refused to sleep with her and she took it as a personal affront," he told Lex.

"You going to believe him?" the father snorted.

"Yes," Lex said. "Because my brother doesn't lie to me. If he says he never touched her then he never touched her. And if you pursue this, then you can take your business elsewhere!"

Clark had looked at Lex. His brother's attitude was so different from Lionel's who would have told Clark he should have just fucked the girl so Lionel could win the man's business. It wouldn't have mattered that Clark wouldn't have been the least bit attracted to the girl as long as he made money from it.

"I never slept with her," Clark told Lois, who looked at him with a dubious expression. "Believe it or not, Lois, I do have some standards."

"Fine. Whatever!"

Lois stood up and he looked at her.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, since I'm going to be working anyway, I figured I might as well dress the part. I'm going to the store to find something to wear."

"Why don't you just go home and change?" Clark suggested.

Lois looked at him like he'd just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

"My house is all the way across town and the mayor's office is two blocks from here. Or were you kidding about talking to this 'friend' of yours?"

"No, I wasn't," he said.

Lois looked him over critically.

"You might want to do something about your clothes. I mean they just scream your whole 'sex on a stick' vibe." She blushed. "Uh, I didn't mean to say it quite like that."

Clark smirked at her, then looked down at his clothes, touching the black silk shirt.

"This happens to be a nice shirt," he said.

"It's unprofessional. I mean, what are you trying to say here? Trust me, you want to be a real reporter, then you need to dress like one. No one is going to take you seriously in that. They'll think you're just there for some wham, bam, thank you, ma'am."

Clark glared at her.

"Like I need fashion advice from Miss stick-up-her-ass! I mean, what image are you trying to sell Lane in your 'professional' look? It's no wonder you can't get a date."

Lois glared at him, her hands on her hips.

"Listen bub, you keep your dating advice to yourself!"

"Fine," he growled. "I'll keep my dating advice to myself and you keep your fashion advice to yourself. I do know how to dress professionally."

"And I know perfectly well how to get a date."

"Great! Care to make a wager on that?"

Lois stared. "What?"

"A wager. A bet."

Lois seemed to be thinking this over. She bit her lower lip.

"What would be the stakes?" she asked.

"One week. You get a date, with someone who is not a friend already, and definitely not a blind date. Friday night. We'll make it a double date."

"And if I lose?"

"You go to bed with me."

Lois narrowed her eyes at him. He waited. He'd issued the challenge. But would she take it? The seconds ticked by and he could swear he heard her brain working as she thought it over.

"Okay, you've got yourself a bet. But if I win, you have to go without sex for a month. Think you can do that, Luthor?"

A whole month? Sure, he'd been celibate for nearly a year, but then he had been training in the fortress. Could he really hold out for a month?

"All right. It's a bet," he agreed.

Lois grinned and he wondered if he'd suddenly got a tiger by the tail. He watched as she put out her hand, looking as if she wanted to shake on it. Warily, he took her hand in his, then pulled her toward him.

"Forget the shaking hands thing. Let's do this properly," he said.

His lips crashed onto hers and he pulled her closer. Lois resisted at first, her mouth refusing to open under his. He gently teased her lips with his tongue until they parted. She tasted sweet, a hint of the donut she'd obviously eaten just before he'd come in to her office. But there was more to her sweetness than the maple icing. There was something that was just so Lois that he began to feel like he was under a spell.

And suddenly the spell was broken as Lois pulled away, leaving them both feeling shaken. What the hell just happened? Clark thought.

Lois was the first to speak.

"Right. So let's go," she said. "And by the way, Luthor, let's get one thing straight. You are not working with me, you are working for me. I ask the questions and I call the shots. I am top banana and that's the way I like it."

Clark smirked as he followed her out of the office and to the lift. The doors opened to a nearly full car, just as he turned to her.

"You like to be on top. Got it!"

He couldn't fail to hear the snickers from those in the lift, or the growl of annoyance from Lois.

"Score one to me," he said to himself.


	9. Shopping

Chapter Nine

Lois hated clothes shopping. She would rather spend more time working than spend it in stores where she was never sure if the clothes she found fit her properly, let alone suited her. And most of the time the saleswomen tended to be rather snooty and she was never convinced when they fawned all over her and told her how great an outfit looked. As far as she was concerned if it was the right fit and gave the right sort of image – that is, of a professional woman, she was good to go.

Growing up in a one-parent household, especially when that parent was more concerned with army manoeuvres than in whether his daughters looked good, she'd never had enough of a role model to help her with the important stuff. Most of the things she'd learned about her own, peculiar in its own way, female body was through sex education and biology at school.

God knew, it had been the most embarrassing conversation she'd ever had with her father when he'd tried to give her the birds and the bees talk at thirteen. She'd already been through that with the school nurse at twelve. Well, Lois had always been well-developed for her age and she'd had her first period then. Not that the general had ever noticed.

She remembered that conversation only too well, though. The general had come home late and barrelled into her room. He never knocked.

"Lois, we need to talk."

"Not now, Daddy. I have homework."

He'd sat on her bed, glancing at the textbooks that Lois had been pretending to study. It was clear he wasn't going away so she sighed and closed the textbook.

"What is it, boss?"

"It's occurred to me that you're, uh, thirteen now, and your body will be going through some, uh, changes."

Okay, I'll bite, Lois thought, struggling not to roll her eyes at him.

"What kind of changes, Dad?"

"Well, puberty."

Oh god! He was about to give her the birds and the bees speech. But to her surprise he just handed her a plain package. She looked inside. Maxi pads?

"The nurse assures me they're exactly what a girl your age should be using. So, uh, the instructions are there. If you have any questions, talk to the nurse, or something. Oh, and Lois, no dating until you're at least sixteen. And no sex. You hear me? I don't want to hear about you getting into trouble. Well, that's all. You might want to talk to Lucy at some stage."

Lois watched, confused as he got up from the bed and went out. She blinked several times rapidly. No sex? She was thirteen. She barely knew what sex was!

She sighed and shook her head of the memory, conscious of the man walking beside her.

"You all right?" he asked her, clearly noticing her distraction.

"Fine," she said sharply, and he raised his hands in mock surrender.

Lois spotted a store and grabbed the handle to pull the door open. Clark got there first, pulling the door open and ushering her in. Then he started to follow her.

Lois stared at him, eyes widening.

"You're not really coming in, are you?" she asked.

"Do you expect me to sit outside and wait while you shop? Maybe it would help you to get a male perspective."

"I can find clothes just fine on my own," she told him coolly.

Clark smirked. "Okay, fine. I'll just sit right here," he said, clearly spotting the seat by the window. A blonde who had been trying on clothes smiled flirtatiously as she passed him. Lois rolled her eyes and walked away, going to look through the racks.

She quickly found a jacket and skirt combination that looked like it might work with a nice top. The jacket was short, in a camel colour. The skirt was long and flared in the same fabric. She grabbed a white blouse to wear underneath. Making sure she had the right size, Lois took the outfit to the changing room.

It looked okay in the mirror. And the top was loose enough to camouflage what she wanted to camouflage. She emerged from the changing room to look at her reflection in the full-length mirror. The skirt was almost too flared, she thought critically. It wasn't sitting right. Also the colour made her look a little washed out. But she didn't have time to choose anything better.

A cough caught her attention. Clark was looking at her and shaking his head. She turned and glared at him.

"What?"

"No, Lois. I know you want to look professional, but that's just ... wrong."

"What's wrong with it?"

"For one thing, you have great legs. You should show them off more. The skirt's way too long, and that flare." He shuddered. "It makes you look fat, which I know you're not. Actually, you're a little on the thin side. Do you eat enough?"

"It's none of your business what I eat."

"Which tells me you probably survive most of the day on maple donuts and coffee. And when you get home it's a microwave dinner. Am I right?"

"Butt out, Luthor. What I do when I get home is none of your concern."

"You want my opinion?" he asked.

"No, but I'm guessing I'll get it anyway."

"The cut of the jacket is wrong. It bunches. And that blouse? What are you trying to hide? You should be proud of your breasts. I know I am," he said, smirking.

Ooh, she wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face. Even if he was right about the cut of the jacket.

Clark snapped his fingers. "Miss?" he said, calling the assistant over.

"Yes, sir?" she said superciliously. Oh, this was going to be good. Clearly the girl had no idea who she was dealing with. Clark handed her a card and her eyes widened at the name.

"My partner here needs some decent clothes. Professional. She needs her beauty to shine, not hidden under badly fitting clothes." He smiled at the girl, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "Now, I'm sure a girl as pretty as you would be able to give my friend some great tips on how to show off her assets, don't you, Mary Ellen?" he said, clearly having seen her name tag.

Mary Ellen giggled. "Of course I can, Mr Luthor."

"You can call me Clark," he said softly.

Ugh, Lois was going to throw up if he got any more sickly sweet. Mary Ellen turned to her.

"Why don't you follow me," she suggested. "I have a few things which I know will look great on you."

Lois glared at Clark, but followed the girl, feeling like a dress-up doll as the salesgirl picked out several outfits for her to try. It was starting to look like the scene in Pretty Woman, where Richard Gere took Julia Roberts to a fashion boutique and had her try on several outfits, while he sat supervising proceedings, given the power to veto anything.

She saw Mary Ellen look at Clark a few times, waiting for his nod of approval, or a shake of his head. Lois had to admit that while the clothes were professional, they were also beautiful. And they did, as Clark had suggested, show off her assets.

Clark stretched lazily and got up as Lois tried on one more outfit at Mary Ellen's bidding.

"There's something missing," he said, moving to her side. He turned her around to face him, eyeing her critically. Then his expression brightened. "I know what it is. Mary Ellen, show me your lingerie. Bras in particular."

"What?" Lois had to fight the urge to cover up her bust with her hands.

"Trust me, Lois, what you're wearing isn't doing you any favours. You need to push them up, especially if you want to attract your Mister Perfect."

To demonstrate, he turned her back to face the mirror, then cupped her breasts with his hands, pushing them up. Lois frowned. The way he was demonstrating showed more cleavage than she liked, but on the other hand it did add that extra oomph to what she was trying on.

Mary Ellen nodded, grabbing a measuring tape and putting it around Lois' chest. She muttered something to herself, then walked off, returning a few moments later with a selection, which she held up for Clark's perusal. Lois felt herself blushing in embarrassment at the thought that Clark was even deciding what bras she should be wearing.

An hour later and Lois was sent off to change into an outfit to wear to the mayor's office, shoes included. She thrust the curtain closed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't believe she had spent over two hours in one shop just to buy one outfit. Because there was no way she could afford all the outfits Clark had picked out for her. Just how was she going to tell him, she thought as she kicked off the espadrilles and donned the dark red dress and matching jacket, then slipped her feet into two-inch pumps. She had to admit the colour looked great on her and the short skirt of the dress showed her legs to perfection. The heels just added that height and accentuated her slender build.

She emerged from the dressing room to find Clark chatting, or rather flirting, with Mary Ellen at the front counter. The pretty brunette was giggling. And Clark was in fine form.

"So six on Friday?" he was saying.

"It's a date," the girl giggled.

Great, Lois thought. Not only do I have to find a date to win the stupid bet, but I also have to put up with Clark flirting up a storm. She wondered if she could cheat on the bet a little. Chloe knew a guy ... No. A bet was a bet, and she had to have a date with a random guy, not some passing acquaintance of her cousin's. No blind dates, was the stipulation.

Clark smiled at her and she realised he'd been watching her for a few moments while she'd been miles away.

"Ready to go?" he asked. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Lois blushed and stammered her thanks. She started to dig in her bag for her purse but Clark grasped her wrist.

"I took the liberty of having the bags delivered to your place," he said.

"What ... but ... you ... I ..."

"It's on me, Lois. After all, I'm the one who made you spend two hours trying on outfits when you only came in here for one." Lois was speechless. He'd paid for it all? She continued to stare at him, open-mouthed. "Just say thank you, Clark," he smirked.

"Th-thank you Clark," she stammered.

"You're welcome, Lois. Now, shall we?" he said, holding out his arm for her.

Dazed, Lois let him take her arm and walk her out of the store and down the street. Despite the fact it was only a couple of blocks, Clark hailed a taxi and they rode the rest of the way to the mayor's office in silence.

Clark's 'friend' turned out to be very talkative. The mayor's office was a mess with the man's arrest. The deputy mayor was under investigation as well and there were workers scurrying about in an atmosphere of what appeared to be complete panic. The phones had been ringing off the hook since the story had come out in the paper, the girl said, her gaze never wavering from Clark.

Every time Lois tried to ask a question, the girl frowned as if being bedevilled by an annoying insect, but she still continued to talk to Clark. Lois fumed silently. She was the senior partner in this, er, partnership, but the girl was ignoring her as if she was a non-entity. Lois didn't like that one little bit.

She decided to do a little nosing on her own and wandered into the next room, glancing at some of the papers on the desk. She turned them around so she could read them, becoming so absorbed in what she was doing, she didn't see the man leaning on the doorjamb.

"You know, if they caught you in here, reading confidential documents, they might get very upset."

Startled, Lois looked up into the most stunning pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. The man was blonde, with short hair gelled into almost a spiky style. He was about Clark's height, although not nearly as bulky, and casually dressed in what were clearly designer jeans and a green and white striped silk shirt over a black t-shirt.

She gulped.

"I wasn't ... uh, I mean, I ..."

"You're just lucky it was me that caught you and not someone from security," the man smiled.

"You, um, work here?" she asked, blushing hotly at the question.

Why was it when she was confronted with gorgeous guys that her brain turned to mush? She could barely even concentrate long enough to say something remotely interesting, she was so intent on the man's fine form, from his perfect, handsome face to his flat abs. Her gaze shifted to the jeans and she found herself blushing again.

"Look at his face," she told herself. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Sorry?" he said.

"Oh, um, nothing. So, uh ... you were saying?"

"You asked if I worked here. I hadn't actually given you an answer yet." His smile showed even white teeth that an orthodontist would kill for. "I'm just visiting," he said. "A friend works here. They needed some business advice from an impartial observer."

"Oh. I see."

He held out his hand. "Oliver Queen."

Lois stared at his proffered hand. Oh lord, she'd just gone and made an idiot of herself over Star City's richest man and not to mention its most eligible bachelor. She should have recognised him from the photos in the society pages. Not that she ever really read them. But it was her job to know who was who and why was he frowning at her? Oh, right. Shake hands, Lois.

"Um, Lois Lane," she said, taking his hand to shake it. "Daily Planet," she muttered.

"Lois?"

Lois closed her eyes for a brief second and growled in irritation. Of course, he had to show up.

"Clark."

"Couldn't keep out of trouble for five minutes, could you?" he said with a smirk. Then he looked at the blonde man. "Oliver? Hey!"

Oliver smiled at him. "Hey, Clark. It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Oh, same old, same old. How about you? What brings you to Metropolis?"

"Just doing some consulting work. How's Lex?"

Clark grinned. "Workaholic, as usual."

"And Lena?"

"She's great. You should stop by. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"I might just do that."

Lois frowned at the two men. Clearly they were not just casual acquaintances as they'd greeted each other like old friends.

And there was that name again. Lena. What relationship did she have with Clark and Lex? Was Lex married? Or was it Clark? She shook her head. It was all getting so muddled.

Clark touched her arm. "We need to get back to the office," he said. "It was great seeing you Ollie. Maybe we'll have dinner some time."

"That'd be great." Oliver handed Lois a card. "It was nice meeting you, Lois Lane."

Lois let herself be led out of the building, still confused by what had happened. Clark looked at her as they got into the taxi to ride back to the Planet.

"So, what did you find out in your snooping?" he asked.

"Nothing. Well, not nothing. There was a proposal from some kind of business consortium. I didn't get a chance to read all the details. But it looks like they're buying up a lot of properties in a two-block radius."

"For what?"

"I don't know," she sighed and shrugged. "I guess we need to do some research." She looked at him coyly. "So, how do you know Oliver?"

"We run in the same circles," Clark said. "It happens when you end up at the same school. Why? You like him? He's single, you know."

Lois denied it quickly, but she stored that information away. Oliver Queen had definite potential.

"Look, um, about today. The clothes and everything. I can't accept them."

"It's a little late for that, Lois. Since I've already had them delivered."

"And I appreciate that, but I can't let you pay for them."

"Ever heard the expression 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'?"

"Yes?"

"And?"

Lois squirmed uncomfortably. "Okay, fine. You win. But I'll pay you back. Somehow." She was sure the bill had been somewhere in the region of a couple of thousand, but she would pay him back. She didn't like being beholden to anyone and Clark Luthor was top of her list.


	10. Oliver

Chapter Ten

Clark knew Lois had been worried about the clothes, which was why he'd sorted out the bill before she'd come back from the dressing room. He also wondered if maybe she had been just a tiny bit jealous over the way he'd flirted with the salesgirl. And why not? It wasn't like they were attached at the hip. So why shouldn't he flirt with a pretty girl.

The thing that bothered him, though, was when he'd heard Lois talking to Oliver Queen. Not that he was worried about Lois dating Oliver. The blonde billionaire was way out of Lois' league.

Lex had met Oliver first. He'd been maybe eight when their father had started meeting with what he'd told Lillian was an 'astronomy club'. Of course, Clark had later learned that the only thing it had to do with astronomy was the fact that Lionel had been discussing Clark's imminent arrival on the planet.

Oliver's parents had been part of the group. Or at least, Oliver's father had. So he and Lex, along with Jason Teague and Patricia Swann had been playmates. Of a sort. Since Lionel hadn't believed in childish games.

After Oliver's parents had been killed when their plane had plunged into the sea, Oliver had been brought up by a nanny. He'd been packed off to boarding school around the same time as Lex.

Clark had just started at Excelsior Preparatory Academy when he met Oliver for the first time. Both Lex and Oliver had been sophomores, while Clark was starting middle school. He'd been barely eight, but tall for his age, and his father had informed him that he would be skipping a few grades. No son of his was going to be held back unless he deemed it necessary. Which explained why Lex, who was a certified genius, was forced to attend the same level of classes as others his age.

There was a great deal of animosity between Lex and Oliver, which only got worse Clark's second year at the school. One particular incident had resulted in a fight between Lex and his best friend. A scholarship student by the name of Duncan Allenmeyer. Duncan would have almost been hit by a car if Clark hadn't quickly got in the way. He'd been fast even at nine, and he'd managed to get Duncan out of the path of the oncoming car and to safety. Only Oliver and Lex had seen what had happened and Lionel had quickly ensured the entire incident was hushed up, all the while admonishing Clark for his carelessness.

Lex, on the other hand, had told his father on no uncertain terms that if Clark hadn't done what he did, then Duncan would have been dead and Lionel could just go to hell if he thought otherwise.

It was the first time Lex had stood up to his father, and Oliver, surprisingly enough, had sided with Lex, knowing the part he had played in the whole incident and at least had been intelligent enough to recognise his own guilt. Duncan had left the school a day later, vowing never to forgive Lex for what had been done to him, but at least he was alive.

Lex and Oliver had bonded over their mutual hatred of Lionel and become, if not friends, at least friendlier. And Clark had found himself a protector in Oliver – the older boy refusing to allow Clark to be teased by his classmates because of his age. Clark could look after himself, but it felt good to have someone on his side.

Clark watched as Lois sat down at her desk and began checking the net for information on the business consortium. He looked over her shoulder as she did the research.

"You think there's a connection between this consortium and what the mayor's been doing with Intergang."

"I don't know," Lois sighed. "The man behind the consortium is someone called ..." She read the information on the screen. "Winslow Schott."

Clark frowned. That name sounded a little familiar. He stored it away to discuss later with Lex.

Meanwhile, he wrote up his notes from the mayor's office, sitting opposite Lois, who was busy trying to pretend his presence didn't bother her. He grinned to himself. He loved unsettling her, making her nervous.

Just as he finished typing up the notes, the phone rang, making Lois jump. She picked it up.

"Lane here. Yeah, he is. Hang on." Lois glanced up at him, still listening. "Oh, okay. I'll tell him." She hung up then glared at him. "That was Lex. He wants to see you in his office. And he says next time, turn your goddamn phone on."

Oops! He'd switched his phone off when he'd been flirting with Mary Ellen in the shop and had forgotten to switch it on again. He handed his notes over to Lois and sauntered out of her office, giving her a good view of his ass, then headed up to Lex's office.

There were voices in the office. Or rather, one voice.

"C'mon Dad, you promised!"

"Lena, honey, I'm sorry, but something has come up. We'll go to the movies next weekend."

"And something will come up next weekend."

"Lena, young ladies do not whine."

"I'm not a young lady," she told her father smartly. "I'm seven. I'm too young to be a young lady."

Clark snickered as he opened the door. Spare him the logic of children. He no sooner had got inside the office when his niece launched herself at him.

"Uncle Clark, Uncle Clark."

"Hey squirt. What's up?"

"Dad says he can't take me to the movies." She thrust out her bottom lip, then her face brightened. "You can take me to the movies."

"Sorry kitten, but I have some business to discuss with your uncle."

Lena looked as if she wanted to stamp her foot.

"Not fair," she sulked. "It's boring at home. And everyone's being mean to me."

"Surely you're not including me in that assessment are you?" a voice behind Clark said.

Lena's eyes widened and she quickly extricated herself from Clark's arms and launched into Oliver's.

"Uncle Ollie! Where have you been? Did you bring me a present, did ya? Huh? Did ya?"

"Lena, you're sounding like a spoilt brat," her father admonished. But Oliver was chuckling.

"Why is it every time I come to town you want a present?"

"Cos every time you come to town you always bring me a present," she said, batting her eyelashes at the blonde billionaire. Clark chuckled.

Oliver grinned unrepentantly at Lex, and shrugged in a 'what can I say'? gesture. He clearly adored Lena and the feeling was just as clearly mutual.

"Tell you what, kiddo. I'll come over for dinner tonight and I'll bring you something then, okay?"

Lena studied him for a moment, then nodded seriously. "Okay."

"Good. Now scoot, short stuff. I gotta talk to your dad and Uncle Clark about something."

Lena pouted a little, then glanced at her father. He took out his wallet and handed her a few dollars.

"Why don't you go find the snack machine," he suggested. "It's on the third floor. Then go sit in the outer office and read. We won't be long."

Lena went out happily enough. Clark looked at his brother.

"You tell me off enough when she eats junk food at my place. A snack machine?"

Lex sighed. "I couldn't exactly send her to the local coffee shop," he said. "I'd like to nip that in the bud," he added with a dirty look at Oliver.

"One time," Oliver protested. "And it was an iced coffee." Oliver had been in town on business and had once spent an afternoon with Lena and had bought her an iced coffee after Lena had led him to believe she was allowed it at home.

"You clearly have no experience with children," Lex told the blonde. "And I don't care what kind of coffee it was she's seven years old for christ's sake!"

"Lex, calm down. Ollie didn't mean any harm. And Lena was just as much to blame, since she conned him into it," Clark pointed out. He might adore his niece but he knew she could be just as devious and manipulative as her father when she put her mind to it. She was, after all, a Luthor.

Lex sighed and looked at Clark. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry Ollie."

"So what was so important you had to call me up here?" Clark asked.

He'd had a funny feeling when he'd seen Ollie at City Hall that Oliver hadn't been there to do some consulting work. And now that he'd been working with Lois for a couple of hours, he knew that funny feeling was justified.

He looked at Oliver now.

"Winslow Schott. You're not here for any consulting. You're here chasing a lead. He was your employee!"

Oliver nodded. "Schott was a scientist. A genius. Almost as smart as you, Lex. And that's saying something. I hired him right out of MIT, developing explosives – from creating tunnels to breaking up kidney stones. Then, I don't know what happened. He snapped. Started bringing in toys to work. Which was fine. Until he started putting explosives in the toys. They started calling him the Toyman. I had to fire him." Oliver shook his head. "I don't know guys. I mean, Schott's smart, but he's no businessman. Why would he be behind this business consortium?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Lex said. "As soon as you called and told me Lois had seen some of the papers at City Hall, I had to intervene." He looked at Clark. "It's more important than ever before that you keep an eye on Lois. I think the mayor might have been involved in far more than dirty politics."

"You think it might be someone else pulling the strings?" Clark asked.

"Well, the consortium's name is Marionette Ventures," Oliver said with a smirk.

Clark could have smacked him for that. "Cute!"

"I'll be out patrolling tonight, just to see what I can find out," Oliver said.

A few years back, Clark had had a run-in with a character who had become notorious for stealing valuable art and jewellery from various members of Metropolis' elite. There had been several stories in the newspapers. Come to think of it, Clark thought, those stories had been what had kick-started Lois' career from just a small-time tabloid reporter to serious journalist. Of course, she had made quite a few erroneous assumptions about the latter-day Robin Hood she had dubbed Green Arrow, but it had led Clark to realise that his friend was none other than Green Arrow.

Oliver, as Green Arrow, had crashed a party Lionel had been hosting at the Smallville mansion to steal a valuable necklace Lionel had given to his current ladyfriend, a woman more than half his age and with more money than brains. Lionel had always been the type of man to have one eye on opportunity and another on keeping his status as Metropolis' richest man. Only a select few, Clark and Lex included, had known that Lionel had been born into abject poverty. He'd married up when he'd married Lillian Forsythe, a Metropolis socialite. But unlike the man she'd married, Lillian hadn't cared a whit about status.

Lionel had tried to convince Clark to pursue Green Arrow and get the necklace back. Clark had gone after him anyway, but not to help Lionel. He'd done it because he believed a crime had been committed. He soon realised that everything he'd understood about the world he lived in was completely wrong.

That had also been the same time Lex had left, taking baby Lena with him. And Clark had been coming to grips with the fact that not only was his father a crook, but he was also a man who would experiment on a small child.

Clark had been eighteen that spring and full of the cocky self-assuredness that came from being the youngest college graduate Met U had seen in two decades. Lionel, at the time, had been planning for Clark to learn the family business, but Clark had refused.

The party at the mansion had supposedly been to celebrate Clark's graduation. Clark remembered he'd still been with Lana at the time. They'd both been watching Lionel schmooze with people he barely knew, feeling utterly bored out of their minds.

Clark had turned to Lana, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room, figuring his father wouldn't miss him.

Even in the heat of early summer, the mansion was still as cold and draughty as most castles tended to be. Or so Clark had heard. Lana had shivered in her simple white sleeveless summer dress as Clark had practically dragged her through the house and into the huge room that had become his own study. There was a fire blazing in the grate and Lana seemed grateful for the warmth.

Clark began to strip her and she froze, her brown eyes wide. Clark sighed.

"Come on, Lana, enough of the shy little virgin act. You dated Whitney for nearly a year and you can't tell me that you never slept with him. Unless he wasn't man enough to take you."

"It's the truth," Lana said, trembling. "Whitney and I ..."

"And we've been together for a year."

"Clark, you know how I feel about you," she said softly. "But I just can't. I'm ... I'm saving myself. For marriage."

Clark choked back his laughter. Marriage? She really was the shy little princess everyone thought her to be. And the last thing he was interested in was marriage. He might imagine himself loving Lana, but he was a Luthor, and Luthors didn't marry small-town girls. No matter how beautiful they were.

He pushed her against the stone wall beside the fireplace, noticing her flinch as her back hit the rough textures.

"Clark, please," she said, sounding more than a little nervous. She was trembling violently now.

"If you didn't want this, you shouldn't have come in here with me," he told her, his tone almost menacing. He would never hurt her. Not really. But he'd learned the power of intimidation at the hands of his father, and he knew how to use it to get what he wanted.

"You ... you dragged me in here. It's not like I had a choice."

Clark had had enough of this. He wanted her and he was damned if he was going to stop now. He captured her lips with his, taking her mouth roughly until she whimpered, then softened the kiss a little.

Lana's trembling had ceased to be something born from nervousness and become more out of need. He knew she wanted him. The few times he'd kissed her she'd been aroused to the point of losing control. But she'd been brought up by an aunt who had taught her that good girls got married before they lost their virginity. Clark had spent a good part of the last year trying to convince her that that kind of thinking was outdated and old-fashioned. No one cared these days about virginity.

As Clark held her close, Lana began to relax in his arms and he knew he was getting to her. He let his lips travel down to her subtly perfumed throat, taking in the light floral fragrance. He'd given her the perfume.

Lifting her, he laid her gently on the leather couch, continuing to suck her silky-soft olive skin until she whimpered. His hands roamed her body, giving her no time to protest as he pushed up the long skirt of her dress. He slipped a hand beneath her panties and touched the curls of her sex. Another thing she'd been taught by her Aunt Nell was that good girls didn't shave their pussies. Or wax. Her pubes were bushy and completely untouched. Never mind, he could work around this, he decided as he continued stroking her.

Lana's whimpers increased the longer he continued to tease her with just his fingers. He felt the change in her body as her arousal grew to almost fever pitch. She arched her back, thrusting her body against his fingers and he slowly penetrated her with one digit while his thumb continued to apply pressure to her clit.

Lana's brown eyes flew open as she realised what he was doing. But she made no move to stop him as he deepened the penetration, his fingers searching for that one spot that he knew made all the girls beg for his touch.

"Clark!" she gasped, and he grinned. Found it!

Then she was alive under him, body spasming and she stared up at him, wide-eyed as she experienced what was most likely her very first orgasm. Clark rode out the shudders, then withdrew, opening his expensive wool trousers and plunging into her. Lana cried out at the intrusion, her body fighting him until he had broken through that little barrier.

No sooner had he had his own climax when the door burst open and a young man with dark blonde hair stepped in, sounding breathless.

"Mr Luthor, I ... I'm so sorry, I ..."

Clark looked at the boy. Funnily enough, his name was also Clark. He was the adopted son of a couple living on the other side of town. At fourteen. Clark Kent had nowhere near the height that Clark had had when he'd been the same age, or the build, but from what Clark had heard from stories in the Talon, the boy was fast becoming a football star, like his adopted father, Jonathan.

Clark zipped up his trousers, not bothering to cover Lana and allow her her dignity.

"What is it?" he asked sharply.

"Your father sent me to look for you."

Clark Kent had been trying to earn extra money to help his parents, who were about to lose their farm, unable to keep up the mortgage payments. As soon as Lex had left for Europe, Lionel had closed down the fertiliser plant and practically shut down the entire town. A lot of people had already sold up what remained of their meagre holdings. Lana had been forced to relinquish her shares in the coffee shop she'd half-owned with Lex, despite a partnership agreement he'd had drawn up, after Lionel had decided he had no interest in a small town coffee shop that was hardly a cash cow to begin with.

Clark dressed, telling Lana to get her shit together and go home. He could sense Lana's embarrassment at having been caught practically in-flagrante but he was not in the mood to deal with her issues. Lionel's summons had quickly blown his good mood out of the room like an icy wind.

"What do you want, old man?" he snapped, walking into the ballroom and confronting his father. He didn't miss Lionel's 'friend' shaking beside him. "What's happened?" he asked, immediately on the alert.

"We had an intruder. I believe they call him Green Arrow. He stole Gillian's necklace."

It turned out while Clark had been 'busy', Green Arrow had boldly crashed through the skylight and whipped the necklace right off the girl's neck. It was the only thing he had taken.

"Why didn't you call the cops?" he asked Lionel.

"And announce to the entire city I'm a sitting duck for some acrobatic archer? You know better than that, son. It isn't wise to advertise our vulnerabilities."

Clark had had to wonder why Green Arrow had only taken the necklace as he began researching the Green Arrow. He'd read some of the articles Lois had written and heard about all the break-ins. So when Green Arrow had broken into yet another property to steal a valuable urn, Clark had been ready for him.

Confronting the man in green leather, his head hooded and his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, Clark had been tempted to use his x-ray vision to uncover the man's identity. But he hadn't.

"Put it back," he snarled.

"Well, if it isn't Luthor junior. Don't you think you're taking the neighbourhood watch thing a little too seriously?"

Green Arrow readied an arrow, aiming it at him. Clark easily ducked it, letting it hit the wall behind him.

"Hate to break it to you, tough guy, but you're on the wrong side."

"I'm not the one stealing valuables from decent citizens."

"Decent citizens?" Green Arrow scoffed. "Coming from the kid of the biggest crook around, I find that debatable."

"What are you talking about?"

"You might wanna ask your old man where he got that necklace."

Clark had moved forward to fight Green Arrow for the urn, but they were interrupted when a security guard came in. The archer fired at the guard with a stun arrow and the guard fell with a grunt to the floor. Clark went to check on the man and when he turned around, the intruder was gone.

Clark began doing some more research into the necklace and found that it had been stolen from its original owner several months earlier. His research uncovered that every one of the items Green Arrow had taken had been stolen from their original owners. The urn had been taken from a museum.

He'd marched into Lionel's office at Luthorcorp.

"Tell me you didn't have that necklace stolen in the first place," he told Lionel, shoving the papers at his father.

"Don't be ridiculous, son. Of course I didn't steal the necklace. What kind of man do you think I am? I bought it."

"On the black market," Clark accused.

"Son, where would I be now if I didn't cut corners?"

"You don't care that it was stolen in the first place!"

"Semantics. The necklace is mine and I want it back."

"Forget it, old man. I'm not going to do your dirty work."

"I am your father and you will obey me," Lionel growled.

"Or you'll do what? Experiment on me like you've been doing to all the other meteor freaks in Smallville? Like you were going to do to ..." Clark trailed off. Lionel didn't know about Lena, or did he?

"Do to whom, Clark? Who are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter," Clark said. "Just tell the truth for once in your life, Lionel."

Lionel stared at him evenly. "Spare me the morality lesson, son."

"Goddamn you!"

Lionel backed off, pulling a case out of his pocket and hurriedly opening it. Clark stumbled, feeling the tingling from the green Kryptonite, the first waves of nausea. He backed off, trying to keep a safe distance, but Lionel closed the gap between them, grabbing Clark by the hair. Clark's skin began to turn green, his stomach roiling with the nausea, his nerves practically screaming in pain.

"We are long, long overdue for a father-son talk," Lionel said. "I made your destiny, your future, our future my whole preoccupation. And what do I get in return but a spoilt child who thinks he knows better than I."

Clark grunted with pain as Lionel forced him to his knees.

"You're not my son," Lionel hissed. "You're just a thing I found in a cornfield. If it hadn't been for Lillian's interference, you would never have seen the light of day. I've been afraid of you, Clark. Your power."

His fist came down, hitting Clark square in the jaw, making him bite down hard on his lip, spitting out blood. Lionel continued to beat him until Clark fell to the floor, then Lionel kicked him in the stomach. As Clark lay helpless on the floor, barely able to keep from throwing up, Lionel turned to pick up his phone.

Just then, the doors burst open and Clark caught a glimpse of high-quality leather boots.

"Drop the phone old man," a modulated voice said. "And the rock."

Clark's vision was greying out, but he shook his head, determined to not lose consciousness and leave himself vulnerable to his father.

"I said drop the rock," Green Arrow repeated. "I won't warn you again."

Lionel was clearly determined to keep the advantage. It looked like stalemate. Then Lionel cried out in pain and Clark realised Green Arrow had let an arrow fly. The Kryptonite dropped in front of Clark, who groaned and tried to roll away, but he was too weak.

"You have something that doesn't belong to you, Luthor," Green Arrow snarled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lionel snapped.

"Don't you? Look in your vault, old man. And be quick about it, or the next one will go through your heart."

A hand reached down for the Kryptonite. Clark saw what looked like a ring hanging on a chain around the man's neck. His eyes widened as he saw the crest on the ring. He knew that crest.

"Oliver," he whispered.

Green Arrow turned to him and the corners of the mouth curved up slightly. Oliver picked up the rock and stood up, grabbing the lead-lined case where Lionel had dropped it, placing the rock inside. Immediately, Clark began to feel relief. His bruises healed and he could stand.

"Thanks," he mouthed to Oliver and ran before Lionel could figure out what had happened.

Clark had later confronted his friend and they'd worked together to ensure all the stolen artefacts and paintings had been returned to their rightful owners.

Lionel had been incensed that he'd lost and had tried to take Clark's inheritance from Lillian. But Clark, with Oliver's help, had uncovered enough evidence to prove Lionel had been experimenting on people without their consent and had threatened to take that evidence to the authorities unless Lionel backed off. He and Lionel had never spoken again until the day the old man died.

Clark shook off the memories and looked at his friend.

"Well, if you're patrolling, then so am I. We need to find out what this consortium wants."

"Lois isn't going to stop looking into this," Lex warned. "Now that her interest is piqued."

"I'll keep an eye on her," Clark assured his brother.

"So will I," Oliver said.

Clark looked at his friend, feeling an unwanted twinge of jealousy. It seemed Oliver's interest in Lois was more than just professional. And he didn't like it.


	11. Daughters

Chapter Eleven

After Clark had left, Lois had found herself staring into space, wondering what Clark's motives were. Sure, he wanted her to sleep with him, and there was no way in hell she was ever going to sleep with a rake like Clark Luthor. But in the space of five hours, she had made a bet with him, been kissed by him and dressed by him.

The thing that bothered her the most was Clark was the kind of guy she could really see herself falling for. Smart, funny, attractive. If it wasn't for his obnoxiousness, and his attitudes about women, she might actually have been friends with him. Okay, more than friends, if she had to admit it to herself. After all, that kiss would have just about knocked her socks off. If she'd been wearing socks.

Lois had always had a tendency to over-think things. Over-analyse things. And the biggest problem she had at the moment was, she just didn't get Clark. First, he laughed at her for her dreams of the perfect guy, then he came on to her, next he bantered with her. And Lois had to admit she loved bickering with him. No other guy she'd ever known had ever been able to match her in brains or in wit. Lois was no genius, but she could still hold her own.

Then there was those two hours in the boutique. Why had Clark bought clothes for her? Was he trying to seduce her or was he being nice? Nah, she thought, Clark Luthor was never nice. So he had to have some other motive for turning her into his own personal dress-up doll. She smirked, wondering if Clark had ever played with dolls as a kid. Because it was unusual for a guy to know so much about fashion.

Then again, he probably had an idea of how he wanted the women he dated, or that is, slept with, to look. Maybe he thought giving her advice on clothes would make her see him in a different light, while at the same time, making her more attractive to him. Well, there was no way she was going to fall for the 'nice guy' routine. She would somehow pay him back for the clothes, but take his advice at the same time and use it to find her own date. Since he'd had the nerve to flirt with the salesgirl right in front of her.

And thinking of dates, she wondered if she should ask Oliver Queen out. So what if he and Clark were old friends. Clark didn't say anything in the terms of their bet about dating one of his friends. And Oliver was pretty cute.

Her phone rang, startling her out of her reverie.

"Lois Lane."

"Hey Lois, it's Clark."

Now this was where things could get confusing. Especially since Lois had been thinking about another Clark, who was driving her crazy.

"Hi Clark, what's up? Needing some help on a term paper?"

"Ha ha, very funny, Lois, since we know your feelings on academia in general."

"At least I graduated," Lois told him. "And I had to work damn hard for all those B-minuses. They just take it easy on you, Mr Football Hero. So what's my favourite little brother doing calling me at work on a Saturday?"

"I thought you had the day off?" he asked.

"Something came up," she told him, not willing to tell him everything.

"Yeah, so I heard. Mom and Dad are really worried about you.

She loved the Kents. Really, she did. But they constantly worried about her. Especially where her job was concerned.

"I'm fine," she told Clark.

Clark Kent was like the little brother she'd never had. For a long time, Lois and her sister Lucy hadn't been all that close. Especially when Lucy had got involved with a criminal gang when she had been away in boarding school in Switzerland. When things had got out of hand, Lucy had expected her family to bail her out.

Lucy was much more settled now. Two years younger than Lois, Lucy was not the ambitious type. She'd met and fallen for a young man who was now her husband and they had a three-month old baby. Lucy was happy being a mom and Lois couldn't begrudge her sister that. She envied her younger sister a little. But she was happy enough in her career, even if it meant she had little time for romance.

"They told me you're working for Lex Luthor. And his brother."

"Lex is my boss, but I most certainly do not work for Clark. I'm working with him."

She told him how she had been partnered up with Clark Luthor.

"I'm sure it's only temporary," she assured the college junior.

"I met him a few years ago. Did I ever tell you that?"

"No. Where?"

"I was working at the Luthor mansion in Smallville. Helping the catering staff for a party Lionel was hosting. Well, Clark had just graduated from college and it was also his birthday. Anyway, that was right before the farm got sold and we moved to the suburbs. Lionel was a bastard, but Clark was just as much of one. He was dating this girl. Lana. She used to live next door. Well, you know what I mean."

"Isn't she the girl he dumped Chloe for?" Lois frowned. Hadn't she also been close friends with Chloe until that had happened? They'd been so close, in fact, that when Lana's aunt, Nell, who had adopted her when her parents had died in the meteor shower, had decided to get married and move to the city, Chloe had offered to let Lana move in with her and her father.

"Yeah, that's her. Look, I know dad's already talked about this, but promise me you'll stay away from the Luthors. Well, Clark, anyway. He's bad news. Lex, well, I don't know. I mean, he left Smallville after a couple of years. No one really knows why. He kept pretty much to himself the whole time he lived in town. And he never did anything bad, that we know of. It's just ... well, you know how dad feels about the Luthors."

According to Jonathan, Lionel had been in town negotiating a buyout of the Ross creamed corn factory the day of the meteor shower. When that had happened, Lex had been wandering in the cornfield and he'd been hit by a shockwave from a meteor. The Ross brothers had changed their minds about selling after the meteor shower and, determined not to lose on a business deal, Lionel had conned someone into persuading the brothers to sell.

Like everyone else in town, Jonathan had blamed the Luthors for everything bad that had happened in Smallville and as far as he was concerned, Lionel's sons were tarred with the same brush.

"Sorry kiddo, I don't really have much of a choice in the matter. Lex is my boss and I guess he decided I needed a babysitter. And don't think you're going to come in here and talk to Lex, or his brother, you hear me? You really don't want to go up against them."

Clark was silent and Lois knew that was exactly what he had been thinking of doing.

"Clark promise me you won't."

"Okay," he sighed. "I won't. I guess you know what you're doing."

"Well, I am older than you sport. And I was raised by the general."

They spoke about other things for a little while, promising to get together for dinner at some stage. Clark was busy with schoolwork and helping his parents manage the grocery. He was a good kid and Lois was very fond of him.

Her mood had lifted by the time she hung up from Clark and she went back to work, analysing what she'd learned so far about the Marionette Ventures and trying to figure out where to go from there. She was still hard at work when she noticed a little girl staring at her from the doorway.

Lois glanced at her, then back at her computer, expecting the girl to just walk away. But the girl kept watching her. Finally, Lois turned her full attention onto the girl.

She was very pretty, with flaming red hair and a round, pale face with a dusting of freckles on her nose. Lois frowned. The girl had a slightly familiar look about her, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. As the girl came closer, Lois saw that she had beautiful blue-grey eyes.

"You know, it's rude to stare."

"But you're so pretty!"

Lois was a little taken aback. The girl had uttered it almost breathlessly, as if in reverence.

"Uh, well, thanks."

"It's no wonder my uncle likes you," the girl said.

"Your uncle. And who might that be?"

"Uncle Clark, silly. You're Lois. My dad talks about you all the time."

Now Lois understood why the girl looked familiar. She was Lex's daughter!

"Oh? And what does your dad say about me?"

The girl smiled enigmatically, an expression she'd clearly picked up from her father. She came in and sat down opposite Lois.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked.

"Working on a story."

"What's it about?"

"Well, I don't know. I think it might be a little difficult for you to understand."

The little girl pouted. "That's what people say when they don't want me to hear bad stuff," she said, scowling.

Lois had to agree. "You know, I hate when people do that. You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I read the story in today's paper. Is it true you were kidnapped?"

"Yes, it's true."

"Did the Blur save you? You didn't say in the story."

"Well, yes he did."

"Oh. That's cool! It must be really cool to be a reporter."

"Well, I like it. Maybe I won't change the world, but I like to think that I make a difference in my own small way. What would you like to be when you grow up, um ..."

"Lena," Lena said distractedly. "I don't know yet. I'm only seven."

Oh, so this was Lena. No wonder when Lex had talked about her he'd sounded so protective. Lois did some quick calculations in her head. If Lena was seven, then that would make her just a baby when her father had left Smallville. Could this be the mysterious reason why Lex had left?

Lois wanted to find out more, but Lena's dad had to be looking for her.

"Maybe you should get back to your dad, Lena," she suggested gently.

Lena shook her head. "Dad and Uncle Clark are having a 'business meeting'," she said, using air quotes. "He was going to take me to the movies, but something came up. Something always comes up."

"Sucks sometimes, doesn't it?" Lois said, sympathetically. She thought for a moment. "You know, I could use a break. Want to get some ice cream?"

Lena brightened. "Can we?"

"Yep. Come on, Lena."

They walked down the street to a small cafe which served ice cream. Lois ordered a latte for herself and sat down at the table, watching Lena happily slurping her ice cream.

"So is it just you and your dad?" Lois asked.

Lena nodded. "My mom gave me up when I was a baby. She thought if my grandpa found out about me he might do bad things to me."

"Like what?"

"Experiment on me. You know, to find out if I'm a meteor freak like my dad."

"Your dad's a meteor freak?"

Lois could have smacked herself. Lex had lost his hair in the meteor shower, and Chloe had mentioned something about Lex being able to heal faster than normal. Her research had also uncovered the fact that Lex had a high white cell count and an extraordinary immunity to even virulent illnesses.

"I guess. I don't really know much about it."

"Oh." She leaned forward. "Do you miss having a mom?"

"Not really. My dad takes good care of me."

"I miss my mom sometimes. She died when I was six."

"So you were one year younger than I am when your mom died? How did she die?"

"She got cancer. My dad was so upset."

"Is it true your dad works for the army?"

"Yep. He's a true blue United States army general."

"He must be a really important man. I heard my dad say something about a General Lane when he was talking about a business contract."

"Yeah, your dad's company does a bit of business with the military. My dad doesn't like to talk about it."

"Lena, there you are. We've been looking for you."

Lois looked up, startled to see Clark at the table. Lena looked at her uncle guiltily.

"You were told to wait for your dad in the office."

"Clark, it's my fault. I suggested ..."

"Lois, stay out of this. Come on, Lena. Your dad's frantic."

Lois got to her feet as Lena followed her uncle out of the cafe. She glanced briefly back at Lois and shrugged. Lois quickly paid for her coffee and headed back to the Planet.

Lex was already scolding his daughter when she got to his office.

"But dad," Lena was saying.

"No, Lena. Do you understand how worried I was? When I give you specific instructions, I expect you to obey them."

Lois burst into the office. "Lex, don't be too angry with her. I was the one who suggested ..."

"Lois, I appreciate you wanting to take responsibility for this, but Lena knows the rules, and she understands why, don't you Lena?"

"Well I don't," Lois said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the hell's wrong with taking her out for a little ice cream?"

"And what happens if someone tries to kidnap her," Clark pointed out.

Lex nodded. "Look, Lois, I know you're trying to help, but you need to understand that if my enemies knew about Lena, they could hurt her, or worse, just to get to me. I know you thought she was safe with you, but ..."

Shit! Lois hadn't thought of that. And Lex was bound to have a lot of enemies.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't think about that."

"Do you ever?" Clark said, glaring at her.

Lena glared up at her uncle. "That's mean, Uncle Clark. She didn't mean to. And Daddy's right. I knew I wasn't supposed to leave but I did anyway, because Lois is pretty, and she's nice and it was nice to have someone to talk to who's a girl."

Lois smiled down at the little girl. She was clearly missing a female influence in her life. Lena continued to glare at her uncle, who seemed to wilt under the girl's gaze.

"Say you're sorry," she told him.

Lois hid a grin. Lena clearly had her uncle wrapped around her little finger.

"Sorry," Clark muttered.

Lena did not look satisfied with that, but her father intervened before she could say any more.

"Lena, you're grounded for a week."

"But Dad ..." she whined.

"No whining, Lena. Or I'll make it two weeks." He looked at Clark. "Do me a favour and take her home."

Clark nodded. "Sure, Lex. You want me to stay with her since it's the housekeeper's day off?"

"Yeah, thanks. Lena, I'm sorry our plans for the day were ruined, but we'll make it another day. I promise."

"You always say that," Lena said sulkily. "And something always comes up."

Lois watched the little girl leave. She clearly adored her father and uncle, but Lois could understand the girl's petulance as well. The general had never really had time for his daughters after his wife died. His duty had come first, over his family.

"Was there something else, Lois? I have a lot of work to do."

"Sorry, I was just curious. What happened to her mom?"

"Helen gave her up to protect her from her grandfather."

"Yeah, she mentioned something about that. It must be tough though, bringing her up on your own."

"I do my best," Lex said shortly.

"It's just ... I know what it's like. Having a father who's too busy to spend time with me. She's a good kid, Lex, but I think she's, well, I think she's lonely."

"Lois, I appreciate that you want to help, but ..."

"Lex, hear me out. Lena's seven, but she's soon going to be at the age where she'll need a woman to talk to. And it's never too early to start. I'm just saying that I can help, if you'll let me."

Lex looked at her steadily. "I'll think about it," he said. His blue-grey eyes studied her for a few moments. "You sure this isn't about you wanting to get the inside scoop on the Luthors?"

"I may be a reporter, Lex, but I would never exploit a little girl. I just know how she feels, not having a mother around."

"You're right," he sighed. "I'm sorry. Look, like I said, I'll think about it."

Lois nodded. That was probably the best answer she was going to get. For now. But she couldn't blame Lex for being reluctant. Then again, Lena was a smart girl, if a little sheltered, and Lois knew that Lena would never let herself be persuaded into giving up family secrets.

She saw Clark still waiting outside the office with Lena. She frowned at him, really not liking the way he'd spoken to her.

"Just what is your malfunction?" she hissed.

"I happen to be very protective of my niece," Clark told her. "And whatever you're trying to pull ..."

"Screw you, Clark. I don't have to explain myself to you."

She walked off with a brief smile at Lena, not wanting to upset the girl any further. Damn Clark anyway, she thought.

For just a brief moment, she had thought there might be a tiny chance she could be wrong about Clark. That beneath that brash, arrogant exterior there might actually be a nice guy. Huh, she snorted. Fat chance!


	12. Apology

Chapter Twelve

Clark was conscious of his niece glowering at him.

"Why are you being so mean?" she asked. "Lois didn't do anything."

"Except take you out without your dad's consent or knowledge."

"She didn't know. It's not fair that you're being so mean to her when she was being nice to me. And she knows what it's like to not have a mommy. She said so."

Clark sighed and shook his head.

"Lena, just because someone says something, it doesn't always mean it's true. You can't be so trusting."

"Well, I like her and I hate you for yelling at her."

"Lena, that's enough," he said sharply. "You don't talk to me that way."

Lena's lip was trembling and he could see the tears beginning to collect in her eyes. Clark let out a long sigh again. For all her intelligence, Lena was still a little girl who understood little about adult relationships. Or what went on in her father's life. She'd been sheltered all her life and she really had no idea of the danger she might have been in.

He picked her up as she started crying, hugging her.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but you need to understand, okay? I know Lois didn't do it on purpose, but she could have put you in danger. And you scared your dad and me when we couldn't find you."

It was the truth. Once Oliver had left, Lex had gone out to the outer office, expecting to find his daughter sitting quietly in one of the comfortable chairs. He'd panicked when she hadn't been there. Clark had calmed him down, telling him he would use his super-hearing to find her. He was relieved when he picked up the sound of Lena's voice, chatting quite happily to Lois, just a block from the office.

"I didn't mean to yell at Lois and I'll tell her I'm sorry, okay? Don't cry, baby."

"Can we go now?" she asked, hiccoughing.

"Your dad asked me to take you straight home."

"Please?" she asked, looking up at him, pouting.

Damn, she'd learned straight out of the Luthor family handbook how to get what she wanted. A few tears, a puppy dog look and his resistance went out the window. Still holding Lena in his arms, he took her down the stairs to Lois' office.

Lois was angrily shoving documents into the paper tray, tidying up before she logged off and went home. He knocked on the door and she looked up, glaring at him.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I owe you an apology," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have said what I did to you." Lena whispered in his ear and he nodded. "I was an as ... um, big meanie and I'm sorry."

Lois' mouth quirked and he could tell she was trying not to laugh at what he'd said. Well, he wasn't exactly going to teach Lena that particular word.

"Apology accepted," she said, grinning at Lena, who grinned back.

"Can I give you a ride home?" he asked.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to take you out of your way."

"It's no problem," Clark said. "As a peace offering."

He glanced at Lena, who turned the Luthor pout onto Lois. He grinned. Lois was in trouble now.

"Please?" Lena asked.

"Ooh, watch out, Lois, the Luthor pout is lethal."

"Don't I know it," Lois muttered. "All right, you can give me a ride home. It's not like you can try any funny business with Lena in the car."

"What's funny business, Lois?" Lena asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older kiddo," Lois said with a grin.

They walked out of the office together and took the lift down to the basement parking. Clark opened the passenger door and ushered Lena into the back, waiting for Lois to get into her own seat, before getting into the driver's seat of the Bronco.

"Seat belts," Lena sang out.

"Okay, okay, seat belts," Lois said, looking at Clark. She chuckled softly. Clark's stomach suddenly fluttered at that tinkling little laugh. Kind of like the way it had done when he'd first met Lana Lang, only with less nausea. "Seat belt, Uncle Clark," she grinned.

Clark put on his seat belt without a murmur and started the car. He leaned forward and turned on the radio. It was automatically tuned in to a station that played classical music. Lois frowned at him.

"What is that?"

"Beethoven," he told her.

"Don't you have real music?"

"This is real music," he said.

"This is the kind of stuff my dad would listen to," she said. "I mean real music. You know, for people our age."

"What's wrong with classical music?" he asked.

Lena giggled in the backseat as Lois rolled her eyes. "Bo-oring!" Clark watched in the mirror as Lois turned and looked at Lena. "I'm right, aren't I?" Lena nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, fine, so pick a station. Or a CD."

He saw her shuffle through the CDs in the glove compartment. He did have some other music there, including alternate rock. Lex liked soft rock, or opera.

"Nope, nothing there." She began fiddling with the dials on the radio, searching through the stations until she found one she liked. There was a song playing with what sounded like a harsh guitar riff.

_**In the shadow of night  
>I see the full moon rise<br>Telling me what's in store,  
>My heart start aching<br>My body start a shaking  
>And I can't take no more, no, no<strong>_

_**Now I just wanna get close to you  
>An' taste your love so sweet<br>And I just wanna make love to you  
>Feel your body heat...<strong>_

_**In the Still of the Night...  
>In the Still of the Night...<br>Over here baby...**_

It was hardly the most appropriate song for a seven year old to listen to.

"Lois, what is this?" he asked.

"Only the best band in the world," Lois said, and how was it possible that she seemed to be shaking her booty in the car, bouncing up and down, her head bobbing to the 'music'.

Clark shifted uncomfortably, his foot moving on the accelerator, the car speeding up a little. Lois' movements reminded him a little of something else. Or maybe it was just his dirty mind. But damn she was sexy when she did that.

"Uncle Clark, how come you're going red?" Lena asked.

Lois stopped rocking along to the music and stared at him. And there was no way Clark was going to comment when Lena was in the car. He might be an arrogant jerk sometimes, but he wasn't about to corrupt his seven year old niece. Besides, Lex would kill him.

He would love to get Lois alone, though. He just knew that when she let go, she would be the epitome of sexy. Just that little hint of what she was like when she stopped being the uptight career woman had him practically bursting out of his pants. He had a vision of her dancing around a pole in nothing but a bikini top and hotpants. Dancing just for him. And whoa, he thought. Where the hell had that come from? Sure, he was attracted to her, but so far he'd just thought of her as every other girl he'd bedded. Hadn't he?

He pulled up outside the complex where Lois' townhouse was located and got out.

"Stay in the car, Lena. I'll just be a couple of minutes."

Lois got out and looked at him.

"You know, I am a big girl. I can walk myself to my front door."

"I know, Lois, but you did get kidnapped last night. I just wanted to make sure you got in okay."

"My hero," she said dryly, clearly not realising just how close she was where that was concerned.

Clark walked her up the path to her front door.

"Look, Lois, I just wanted to ... I am sorry about what I said. Lena was right. You were being nice to her and I shouldn't have attacked you the way I did."

"Well, I kinda understand where you and Lex are coming from," she conceded. "If someone, like Lex's enemies, knew about Lena, they could try to hurt her to get to him. I mean, I'm not exactly happy with you about the way you acted like an asshole. I mean, it's not like I'm planning to exploit her. Like I told Lex. I think she needs a woman to talk to. She says she doesn't miss her mom, but I don't know. I think if she doesn't now, she will do. And from what I can see, she's a pretty smart kid. I know you think she trusts too easily, but I don't think so. You know, kids at that age are not as naive as you think they are."

"Lois, I know all that. It's just ... well, there's something you need to know. And if Lex found out I told you this, he'd kill me. But the reason we're so protective of Lena is because ... when Lex was sixteen, a reporter approached him. Without our father's consent."

Lex had been at the riding stables near the school, having come in after riding instruction. It was part of the school curriculum, but it wasn't something Lex enjoyed. He ran into a man with sandy-blonde hair who had apparently told the staff there that his daughter was taking lessons. Lex's suspicions had been aroused though, when the man had begun asking probing questions about Lex and the family.

"Who was the reporter?" Lois asked curiously.

"Perry White," Clark said.

Lois stared at him, her eyes widening. "I'm surprised Lex is working with him."

"Yeah, well, when Lex first started talking about buying the Daily Planet, he had a few meetings with Perry and they cleared the air. I mean, Lois, I'm not saying you would do anything like that with Lena, but now do you understand?" Lois nodded sympathetically.

"Of course I do, Clark. And I'm sorry too. I promise, in future, I will check with Lex before I take Lena anywhere. She's a great kid, Clark, and I'd love to get to know her better. Purely as a friend."

Clark grinned. He could tell that Lena already liked Lois and she didn't make friends easily. Lois had to be someone very special for Lena to do that. Mind you, he thought, the same could be said about Lena if she'd broken the walls that Lois had built around herself.

He went back to the car to find Lena smirking at him in an expression reminiscent of her father's.

"What are you grinning at, squirt?" he asked.

"You like her," Lena said.

"She's all right."

Lena giggled. "You should ask her out Uncle Clark."

He was trying. That was half the problem. Part of him wondered if it was just about sex anymore. The real problem was, he actually was beginning to like her. And it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

He drove silently through the streets to Lex's own townhouse. Certainly not as luxurious as the penthouse Lex had once owned in the central city, not far from Luthorcorp, and definitely not as big as the castle in Smallville, or as draughty, but plenty big enough for him and Lena, and Clark, for whenever he chose to stay overnight.

Lex had already offered Oliver one of the guest rooms for the night and Oliver had happily accepted. As Clark drove into the three car garage, he noticed Oliver's Porsche parked in the driveway. Lex was clearly not home yet. The BMW he drove when Lena was with him was not in the garage.

Clark got out and opened the door for Lena, pushing the seat forward so she could get out. He helped her down and she opened the main door, running into the house. Clark heard her squeals of delight, obviously having found Oliver. He grinned to himself, shaking his head at his niece's enthusiasm.

Oliver had been a fairly frequent visitor in the last year, despite having moved permanently to Star City two years ago. He'd begun working with Lex on a business project and had fallen for the little girl the instant he'd met her. But then, Clark thought, Lena could win anyone over. Sure, she had the occasional fit of temper, but she was such a sweet-natured girl.

Clark walked through the house and found Oliver in the kitchen with Lena, who was happily munching a cookie, a glass of milk on the counter beside her.

"Look what Uncle Ollie gave me Uncle Clark," she said, showing Clark the computer game clutched in her little hand.

"That's great honey," he said. He looked at his friend. "I see you let yourself in."

"Yep." Oliver downed the rest of his coffee. "Guess we should talk strategy."

"Later," Clark said. He checked the refrigerator, sighing in dismay at the contents. Guess Lex hadn't planned on dinner at home, or else he would have had the housekeeper go shopping.

Clark stole one of Lena's cookies off the plate and she sent him a glare. Lena could be very possessive about things. Even food.

"So, squirt, what do you fancy for dinner?" he asked. "Although, I bet after you've eaten that little lot, you won't want any."

Lena looked at him with an 'are you kidding?' expression and snorted.

"So what's strategy Uncle Ollie?" she asked.

"That's just planning honey," he said.

"I know what it means, silly," she giggled.

"Smartass," he commented.

"You said the a-word," she accused.

"It's okay in that context honey," Clark told her.

Lena snorted again as if she disagreed.

"Helena Lillian Luthor, young ladies do not snort like bulls."

Lena's eyes widened and she jumped off the stool and ran to her father, squealing.

"Daddy!"

"You just saw me an hour ago, Lena," he told her, looking as if his eyes were misting over as he hugged his daughter. "Or is this your way of trying to convince me to let you off the grounding?"

"No, Daddy," she said. "I just missed you."

Yeah right, Clark thought. Miss Innocent she wasn't. Lena knew exactly how to push her father's buttons.

"Go and read for a while. We'll call you when it's time for dinner," Lex said.

"But Daddy ..."

"Lena, don't argue. And no tv. You're grounded remember?"

Lena pouted. "No tv? For a whole week?"

"You heard me, Lena. Now scoot."

Lena bit her lip, then nodded soberly and took her cookies and milk, leaving the kitchen.

"Whew," Oliver said. "Glad it's you and not me. She's exhausting."

"And you've been here how long? You wait until you have one of your own," Lex told him mildly. "What are we having for dinner?" he added, turning to Clark.

Clark rolled his eyes at his brother. Lex had never learned to cook. And he'd accused Clark of being the spoilt brat. At least Clark didn't rely on servants to cook and clean for him. Or on his brother on his housekeeper's day off.

"God forbid you should ever have to survive on your own," Clark told him. "What would you do without gourmet restaurants to deliver?"

"Probably starve," Lex said with a grin. "So?"

Clark sighed. "Fine. I'll call Mazzini's. You have no food in the house. Except for Lena's cookies."

"I doubt she minds," Lex responded. He studied Clark for a moment and Clark began to feel a little uncomfortable under his brother's steady gaze. "So, what was that all about with Lois?"

"I don't know what you mean," Clark said, digging through the drawer in the cabinet for the menu.

"Come on, Clark, you practically bit her head off. Lois had a point, you know."

"So you're taking her side on this? Anyway, it doesn't matter. Lois and I talked it out."

"You know what your problem is? I think you like her. More than you want to admit, even to yourself."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Ahh, what do you know," he said. "You haven't been near a woman since Lana."

"And we both know how that turned out," Lex said. "Don't change the subject."

"I wasn't changing the subject."

"You were," Oliver said. Clark glowered at him, but didn't comment.

"I said this before and I'll say it again. Stay away from any personal involvement with Lois. Work with her, but I swear Clark, if you treat her like you do any other woman, then I will find some of Dad's old stores of liquid Kryptonite and shove it down your throat."

"You wouldn't," Clark growled, glaring at his brother.

"I mean it, Clark. I asked you to keep an eye on her, not fuck with her head. You treat women like shit and it's about time you grew up and realised the world does not revolve around you and your dick."

"So does this mean that Lois is free as a bird?" Oliver asked.

"Why? Thinking of asking her out?" Lex asked the blonde.

"Well, yeah, she's cute."

Cute? Lois Lane was not cute! She was beautiful, sensuous, sexy, smart, brilliant, passionate and oh god, what was he thinking? As his brother and his best friend began talking animatedly about Lois, debating whether Oliver should ask her out, Clark felt another irrational surge of jealousy.

The colour drained from his face as the realisation slowly hit him. He was falling for a woman. For the first time in his life. Okay, maybe the second time, or ... Had he really felt the same way about Lana? Sure, she had been beautiful, but there had always been something that hadn't quite fit with them. All the time he'd been with Lana he'd kept asking himself, is this it? Now he wondered if Lois might be the answer to that question.

The trouble was, Lois didn't feel that way about him. She hated him. Well, maybe hate was a strong word. He was sure she didn't dislike him, but she didn't exactly like him either. And there was still the matter of the bet. Clark wished he hadn't made that bet with her now, because he knew there was no way in hell that she would ever let him sleep with her. But Clark wondered if he could just get her to that point, then maybe he'd have a chance to turn it into something more.

He had to come up with a plan to make sure Lois lost the bet. He glanced at Oliver, who was still talking with Lex, and hadn't noticed Clark's lapse into silence. There was only one way to handle this. If Oliver was so keen on asking Lois out, then Clark would do everything he could to sabotage those plans.

A small smile formed on his lips. He had a plan. Lois Lane would never know what hit her.


	13. Jealousy

Chapter Thirteen

Lois hadn't been able to stop thinking about that whole incident all weekend. It was annoying, sometimes, how contradictory Clark could be. When they were alone, he could be arrogant, obnoxious even. But she could see that he genuinely cared for his niece. And maybe that was the way to his heart, she thought, as she dressed with care early Monday morning.

Oh what the hell was she thinking, she decided as she pulled the hem of her new blouse down roughly. She didn't want to get to his heart. She didn't want anything to do with Clark. He was not her type. Definitely not. She sighed. So, Lois, she told herself, why were you thinking about him all day Sunday?

As she checked her reflection in the mirror, she had to admit that Clark had great taste in clothes. The red v-necked blouse suited her colouring and moulded to her curves. All her other clothes had been fine, except they had been designed to hide her body.

It wasn't that she had bad taste in clothes. It was just that she'd shopped for practicality. The general had once told her there was no room for beauty in the army. And all the women she'd known growing up had spent ninety percent of their time in army green. The only guys Lois had ever dated before she'd gone away to college had been Green Berets or Navy Seals. And the only guys she'd dated since then had been the button-down preppy lawyer types, like that guy Matt. Certainly not the likes of Clark Luthor.

Lois huffed impatiently. Come on, Lane, she told herself. The only thing a guy like Clark was interested in was the horizontal tango. He certainly wasn't in it for the long haul. She needed to stop wasting her energy on him.

Now Oliver Queen. Six foot three of blonde and handsome. There was a guy who might just have potential. And since she did have a bet to win, she wondered if Oliver would be willing to give her a shot.

She walked into the bullpen and grabbed herself a cup of coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste. Someone had left it brewing too long. But it was better than nothing.

"Morning Lois," Cat said, sounding as if she'd just crawled out of bed. "Heard you hit the big time on the weekend."

"If you count getting kidnapped then almost getting shot hitting the big time," she countered.

"Did you really get saved by the Blur?" Cat asked. "Did you see who he was?"

"Yes, and no."

Cat looked disappointed. "I bet he's dreamy," she sighed. "I'd love to know what he looks like."

Lois shrugged and snorted. "How would you know? He could be really unattractive and that's why he hides himself in the shadows."

Cat seemed surprised. "You think so? I mean, just the idea of him sounds so ... I would love for him to come and rescue me."

"You'd have to be in mortal danger for the Blur to rescue you," Clark said behind Lois. "And I wouldn't recommend it. I'd hate for anything bad to happen to that pretty face." He said it in such a way that it sounded flirtatious, looking Cat up and down as if she was the best thing since sliced bread.

The blonde wilted and Lois rolled her eyes. She refilled her cup and turned away, walking to her office.

"Get up on the wrong side of bed this morning Lois?" Clark asked, smirking at her as he followed her inside, sitting down in the chair opposite her.

"Look, Luthor, what you do on your downtime is your own business. But do you have to flirt during office hours? And why are you such a Blur hater?"

Clark frowned. "What are you talking about? I don't hate the Blur."

"You implied that the Blur only saves people if they're in mortal danger. That's not all he does, you know."

"And you would know this how?"

"I've been following Blur sightings all over Metropolis. The man is a hero, Clark."

"Yeah, well, you know, there has to be something wrong with a guy who goes about saving people and not expecting something in return. I mean, how do you know he doesn't have some kind of hidden agenda?"

"You know, just because you Luthors have ulterior motives in everything you do, the same does not apply to someone like the Blur."

Clark snorted. "You keep telling yourself that, Lois. Personally, I just think you've got a bad case of hero worship. Some reporter you are."

"At least I'm not that much of a cynic. And before you tell me I'm biased because the Blur's saved me a couple of times, I'm not. I've been doing a bit of research on the Blur and he's helped a lot of people. I even think he helped people in Smallville."

She studied Clark. She kept forgetting that Clark had spent a year or two in Smallville. And he'd been there around the same time there had been potential Blur saves in the town. She opened her mouth to ask him if he'd seen anything unusual in Smallville, but Clark looked bored. She decided a change of subject was in order.

"Um, so how's Lena? Was Lex mad at her?"

"Upset is more like it. But Lena's fine. Sulking because she's grounded, of course. Lex banned her from the tv and her computer, unless she's doing homework."

"She's a sweet kid, Clark. Has Lex ever thought about getting remarried? I mean, it might help Lena to have a mother. Or a mother figure."

"Lex is too busy trying to undo all the evil Lionel did to even think about dating, let alone getting married to a woman who decided she was more interested in his money than him."

"He works too much. It's not good for him. And it's not good for Lena."

"I totally agree with you, Lois, but even I can't tell my brother what to do." He stood up abruptly. "I gotta go," he said, then walked out.

All in all, it had been a weird conversation, Lois thought as she analysed it later. The problem was, she just didn't get Clark at all. And she didn't think she ever would.

Fortunately, she was too busy to dwell on it too much. Shortly after Clark had left, she had heard the police calling in a bank robbery on the scanner and had dashed off to the scene. But the Blur had already been and gone, tying up the robbers and dumping them in the police's laps. Lois hadn't been able to get a comment from the police, but the acting mayor had been more than happy to add his comments, praising the Blur's efforts.

"Thanks to him, Metropolis is beginning to be a safer place to live once more."

There was one thing Lois noticed while she was out, and that was the appreciative glances she got from all the men, and some of the women too, she noted. Before, their gazes had flicked over her and while not quite being dismissive, they hadn't exactly lingered. Lois had to admit she got a tiny thrill over the way the men looked at her now. It turned out Clark had been right on that score after all.

Lois returned to the office to write up her article, wondering how long it would take for Clark to heap scorn and derision on her praise of the Blur. As she read it over, she wondered if Clark might just have a point. She did tend to be a little biased when it came to the Blur. Journalists were supposed to be objective observers, not participants. And there was no place for purple prose in news articles.

Scrapping the article, she rewrote it, sticking to a 'just-the-facts-ma'am' angle. But as she read it over she could see that it was lacking something. It was boring.

Goddamn it, why was she listening to Clark anyway? She was the one who had won a journalism award. He was a columnist and would-be reporter, and all around buttinski.

Giving up on the article for a moment, Lois sighed and got up, picking up her coffee mug to go pour herself another cup of the diesel fuel that passed for coffee in this place. As she brushed past the desk, some papers fell on the floor. With another sigh, she put the mug on the desk and bent down to pick up the papers. She saw a business card underneath the desk and snatched it up. Oliver.

Screw Clark, she thought, picking up the phone and dialling Oliver's cell.

"Oliver Queen," came the voice. It was short, sharp and Lois guessed he must be busy. But she'd come this far.

"Oliver, it's Lois. Lois Lane." Oliver's tone instantly changed to a low, almost throaty sound when he spoke.

"Lois. What can I do for you?"

"Um, well, I was wondering, how busy are you?"

She looked up, hearing footsteps, and rolled her eyes. Clark had come in. She deliberately turned her back on him.

"Uh, what I meant to say was, I was hoping you might be free on Friday night. Because if you weren't, I was thinking that maybe we could, um get together."

Clark, not to be deterred, had come around the desk and was signalling frantically at her. Hang up now, Clark was mouthing. She frowned and waved him away.

"Well, Lois, I don't know if I'm going to be free," Oliver said, and it sounded like amusement in his voice. Was he laughing at her?

"Oh, okay. Well, you know where to find me," she said, saying a quick goodbye and hanging up. Her cheeks were on fire. "Oh god," she moaned. "I sounded desperate. No wonder he was laughing at me."

"I'm sure he wasn't," Clark said, his tone sympathetic. "But you shouldn't have done that without talking to me first."

"Why?"

"Because I could have told you that Ollie prefers to do the asking. He's not that into assertive women."

"Oh shit. I've really screwed this up. I just saw the card and I ... crap, crap, crap."

"Look, don't worry about it," Clark said. "Like I said, Oliver just likes a certain type of woman. Now me, I don't mind if a girl asks me out. Actually, it turns me on to see a woman confident enough to ask a guy out."

Lois snorted. "Everything with you is a turn-on," she told him.

Clark grinned. "I cannot tell a lie."

Now why did Lois find that hard to believe?

Lois sat back, sighing. She really had screwed up. Question was, what was she going to do about it? Oliver had been her only hope for Friday night. Then again, there was that cop down at the fourteenth precinct who ...

"Look," Clark was saying. "I can help you on that score."

"Get a date? Uh, I thought we had a bet?" she said.

Clark smirked. "Well, yeah, but I wouldn't want to win the bet too easily. Kind of cheapens it somehow."

Lois snorted. "Oh please, like a roll in the sack with you isn't cheap anyway."

"What are you suggesting, Lois, that the women I sleep with don't have a good time?"

"Oh, I'm sure they have a good time, but how good is debatable."

Clark grinned, sitting in the other chair and leaning back, hands on his head.

"I think they have more than an okay time."

"Why? Because they have an orgasm?"

"Or three."

"How do you know they're not faking?" she asked.

"They'd never do that," Clark said, shaking his head.

"You don't know that."

"Trust me, I know when a woman's faking an orgasm."

"Oh come on, really? Your head's so far up your own ass you wouldn't be able to tell anyway."

Clark's green eyes glittered as he glared at her.

"What are you implying, Lois? That I'm a selfish lover? Trust me, I know how to pleasure a woman."

Care to give me a demonstration, Lois thought, then shook her head. There was no way in hell she was ever going to let him ...

She started. Clark had slipped from the chair and was hovering over her.

"Trust me," he said in a low voice.

And then his lips were capturing hers in a hard kiss that had all her senses reeling. Clark's tongue pushed its way between her lips, making them tingle with its gentle exploration. Lois whimpered, unable to stop the sound as the kiss deepened. Clark pulled her forward, his hands seeming so gentle on her arms yet his grip firm. He lifted his mouth from hers and she leaned forward, seeking more of his kiss, her whole body alive with his touch.

"Earth to Lois."

Lois blinked and looked up. Clark was smirking at her from his seat. She frowned. Damn, it had just been a daydream.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"I was changing the subject. You looked like you were working on an article," he said.

"Uh, yeah. The bank robbery." She made a sour face, as if she'd tasted a lemon.

"Let me see," he said.

"Why?"

"Well, you don't seem too happy about it."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Fine. Take a look then."

She rolled her chair away from the screen to allow Clark room and he read the story on the screen. She couldn't help staring at the way his back muscles moved when he did underneath the silk shirt he was wearing. The fabric strained slightly, stretching to accommodate his bulk. He wasn't fat by any means, but he was certainly well-built.

She found herself wondering what it would be like to run her hands up and down that body. Silk and steel, she thought. Just one touch, Lois, she thought, reaching out.

Clark sat up straighter suddenly.

"Well, it is a little bland. What happened to your usual style?"

"Um, well, maybe I am a little biased when it comes to the Blur," she admitted.

Clark raised an eyebrow at her. "You actually listened to me? Wonders will never cease."

"I don't know why," she grumbled. "There was nothing wrong with what I wrote before."

"Have you ever thought that maybe the Blur isn't in to self-promotion and that's why he keeps in the shadows?"

"I thought you said he had some kind of hidden agenda?"

"Okay, so maybe that was a little out of line. I mean, you were right before. Lionel never did anything without an ulterior motive and I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Aren't you adopted?" Lois asked with a frown.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Um, nothing, I don't know. I guess I just find it hard to believe you would actually listen to something I said, let alone say I'm right."

"Yeah, don't get used to it Lane. It will be a very rare event."

"Whatever!" she snorted. "So, if the Blur isn't in to self-promotion, how do you think he feels about all the stories in the newspaper?"

"Well, since I don't know the Blur personally, I can only hazard a guess and say that he's helps because it's the right thing to do. But it's not the only thing. I mean, maybe he's trying to inspire people too."

"I guess," Lois said doubtfully. "I really wish I could talk to him though."

Clark shrugged. "Can't help you with that. Sorry." He turned back to the screen. "Look, maybe with this article, you can do a combination of both. Less of the flowery bullshit, stick to the facts and let your quotes say the rest." He began typing, picking up parts of her first draft and pasting them into the second article. Lois watched him work and within minutes, the article took shape. And it was actually pretty good. She'd been right in her first assessment of Clark's writing. He was not a bad writer.

The phone rang and Lois picked it up.

"Lois Lane," she said.

"Lois, it's Oliver."

Lois stared wide-eyed at Clark. 'He called back', she mouthed.

Clark gestured to her to cover the mouthpiece.

"Tell him you're on a deadline and you'll call him back."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded and uncovered the mouthpiece.

"Oliver, hi, look, I'm on a deadline. Can I call you back?"

"Sure," he said.

Lois hung up and frowned at Clark. "Okay, why did I just lie through my teeth to him?"

"You're playing hard to get. Guys like that." He pressed a key on the computer and printed the article. "Okay, you're done. Come on, I'll buy you lunch."

"But ... what about Oliver?"

"Let him stew on it for a while," he said. "Come on, Lois, I'm starving."


	14. Lecture

Chapter Fourteen

Clark grinned to himself as he got into his car that evening. So far, so good, he thought. It was almost as if he had Lois eating out of his hands. The woman was never going to know what hit her.

After they'd had lunch together in an intimate little cafe, Clark had managed to come up with other excuses for Lois not to call Oliver back. He'd kept her busy all afternoon so she never had a chance to call him. Which was good for him.

He'd almost blown it though. As soon as he'd walked in to her office and heard her talking to Oliver, he had panicked. It was a good thing, though, that Lois hadn't caught on to that. He'd been able to smooth things over and had scored himself a lunch date with her into the bargain.

He had to admit he loved playing the cat and mouse game with her when it came to the Blur. It was almost laughable, really, that he was playing devil's advocate, against himself. But he figured he was right where Lois was concerned. He was so sure she did have feelings for the Blur, but whether it was hero worship or something else, he couldn't determine.

As he drove up the ramp to exit the carpark, his phone rang. He put in the earpiece and touched the button on his dashboard control.

"Luthor."

"Nice try kid, but I'm still going to ask her out."

"Oliver," he said coolly.

"Where are you?"

"Heading home. Alone, if you must know."

"What's this? The great Kal doesn't have a date? I'm shocked."

Clark rolled his eyes. "What do you want, Ollie?"

"Meet me at the Ace of Clubs for a drink."

"Ollie, it's been a long day and I still have to ..."

"One drink, Kal."

Clark frowned. Oliver was calling him Kal, which meant one of two things. He was in trouble with his best friend, which, given his antics that day, probably wasn't too far off the mark, or two, Oliver wanted something. With a sigh, Clark turned the car around and headed for the Ace of Clubs, handing the keys to the valet.

He walked in to find Oliver sitting at the bar.

"Pull up a stool," Oliver smiled. "Barkeep, give my friend a beer. Bud Lite. Although I don't know why you drink that shit," he said.

"I happen to like beer," Clark said in mild protest, grinning at his friend, who, like Lex, was a scotch man. In public anyway.

A bottle of beer was plunked in front of him and Clark took a sip.

"So?" he said.

"Lois Lane."

Clark shrugged non-committally. "What about her?"

"Oh, come on, Clark, it's written all over your face. You like her."

"I like all the women I sleep with."

"But this one's different."

"No way!"

"Yes way! How long have we known each other Kal?"

"Too long, by the sound of it."

"Remember about five years ago when I came to Metropolis to investigate your old man? What happened then?"

"Was this before or after I ditched Lana?"

Oliver smirked. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that Kal. We both know what happened with Lana, and honestly, you deserved what she did to you. Lex is right what he said the other day. You treat women like shit."

"Did you ask me here to lecture me?" Clark said, suddenly defensive.

"No, I had some business I needed to discuss with you. But first, let me remind you of the girl you took off me five years ago."

"Yeah, what was her name? Sheila? Stella?"

"It was Stacey," Oliver told him. "And maybe she was never going to be the love of my life, but you had no right doing what you did."'

"If she was that into you," Clark told his friend, "she never would have gone with me."

They'd both been at a party Lionel had been hosting, although neither of them had wanted to be there. Oliver had been escorting a brunette beauty. They had apparently been dating for a little while and Stacey knew of Oliver's 'other identity'.

Both Oliver and Clark had gone to the party to see if they could break into Lionel's files and find out more about the experiments Lionel was involved in. Clark had flirted with Stacey, at first to avoid talking to Lionel, since they'd had the massive falling out just a few months before, but then he'd been interested in the girl, who was extremely attractive and smarter than the usual bimbos Oliver had hung out with.

By the end of the night, Stacey had been in his bed and Oliver had refused to talk to him for two whole months.

"Point taken, Clark, but don't do to Lois what you did to her, and the hundreds of other women you've slept with since Lana dumped you."

"Well, that's an exaggeration," Clark said, sipping his beer.

"Which part? The part where you're a total bastard to women or the number? It's not too far from the truth, though, is it? And Lois isn't the kind of woman you should be playing these games with."

"What would you know about Lois Lane? You barely met her."

"I wouldn't be the successful businessman I am if I didn't do background checks," Oliver said smugly. "Lois Joanne Lane," he began, as if reciting from a file. "Twenty-six, graduated from Metropolis University with a Bachelor of Communications, majored in journalism. Grew up an army brat. Father Sam, Mother Ella. Her mother died of lung cancer when Lois was six years old. Younger sister Lucy. Over-privileged, spoilt brat, now married with a young daughter and to all intents and purposes settled and despairs of her older sister ever settling down.

"Lois' first boyfriend was a Marine. Wes Keenan. He was killed in the Gulf when Lois was nineteen. Oh, and she's a Capricorn, on the cusp of Aquarius. Likes action movies, dancing and has a curious passion for the music of the eighties band Whitesnake. Need I go on?"

"Please don't," Clark groaned.

"Look, Kal, I wouldn't say this if you weren't my best friend, but just back the hell off. Lois Lane isn't a woman to be toyed with."

Clark sighed. Oliver had a point. But he wasn't about to admit that, even to his best friend.

What bothered him was, when he'd started this with Lois, it had been a game. She was just going to be another notch on his belt. But now, everything felt different with her. He actually liked her. Could see himself falling for her in a big way. Oh, who was he kidding? He had fallen for her.

Oliver finished his drink and grabbed a handful of peanuts, practically throwing them into his mouth. He chewed on the nuts for a while as Clark drank the rest of his beer.

"Listen," Oliver said finally. "I might have something on this consortium business."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm curious though. I thought Lex was playing it straight these days?"

Clark frowned at his friend. "He is. Why?"

Oliver picked up a folder which Clark hadn't noticed had been sitting on the bar beside his friend all this time, and handed it to him.

Clark read the documents. There were property records detailing the buyouts of every piece of land. There was also a listing of interested parties. One of those was an L Luthor. Clark shook his head and looked at Oliver.

"This can't be Lex," he said.

"Do you know of any other L Luthors?"

Clark searched through the documents further and found signatures of all the members of the consortium. He peered at the scrawl for L Luthor, then grinned at Oliver.

"That's not Lex's signature," he said. "I don't recognise the handwriting, so I know it's not Lex."

"Who else could it be then?" Oliver asked, frowning.

Clark thought for a moment. Then it hit him. "Lucas."

Oliver blinked. "Lucas? As in sadistic, psychotic, half-brother Lucas?"

"That would be him."

Ten years ago, a woman named Rachel Dunleavy had come to Smallville, claiming that Clark was her son, Lucas. She had been working for Lionel years before as his assistant and they'd had more than a working relationship.

Lionel, of course, knew the truth and refused to give Rachel what she wanted, which was her son.

Months later, Lex had found Lucas, but realised too late that Lionel had known all along where Lucas was and that his half-brother had been concocting a scheme with Lionel. It had resulted in Lex being, temporarily, kicked out of the mansion. Fortunately, Lex still had an apartment in the city, which Clark was using while he continued his studies at Met U.

Lucas was every bit his father's son. A sociopath who cared little for his older brother, or his father for that matter. The only thing he cared about was making money.

Clark closed the folder and sighed.

"Lex needs to know about this. If Lucas is behind another scheme, this could cause trouble for Luthorcorp. Thanks Ollie."

"You're welcome."

Clark grinned at his friend. "I gotta go."

"Got a hot date?" Oliver smirked.

"Yeah, with Marg Helgenberger," Clark returned. "CSI night."

"Ah come on, admit it, you only watch it for the hot science chicks."

"I cannot lie," Clark chuckled. "See you."

"Not if I see you first," Oliver retorted.

Clark decided to take a detour instead of heading straight home. He parked in the street and walked up the sidewalk to Lois' door, knocking softly. When Lois opened the door, she was looking stressed. Clark sniffed. She'd clearly burned something.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked.

Lois muttered something under her breath and Clark ignored her mutterings to walk into the house.

"Did I say you could come in?" she growled.

Clark glanced in the kitchen. "Smells like something's burning."

"That happens to be my dinner," Lois snapped. "What do you want?"

"Actually, I have something here that might interest you," he said, holding up the folder. "For the story. But I can come back, if it's a bad time."

Lois' eyes lit up at the mention of the word 'story' and he knew he'd piqued her interest.

"What is it?" she asked, her gaze following the folder he was waving around.

"I tell you what, why don't I go get some Chinese food and let you clean up, then we can sit down and discuss what I found out."

Lois looked thoughtful, and clearly very tempted by the idea of Chinese food.

"All right," she said.

"Great," he answered. "I know a place that's easy to get to. And they have a great selection."

He left the house, but instead of getting back into the car, he sped off, launching himself into the air and flying to Shanghai. He'd spent a little time in China and knew the best places to get take-out. It helped that he knew a little of the language as well.

Within minutes, he was back. The food was still piping hot when he set it out on the table. Lois, he noticed, had changed clothes, and was wearing a very sexy, maroon dress.

"Now you didn't dress up for me, did you?" he asked, his gaze flirtatious.

"I ... no," she said, blushing. "I was just trying it on."

"Well, it looks very sexy on you," he told her.

Lois didn't answer, too busy sampling the Kum Po chicken.

"Oh, wow, this is out of this world!"

"Yeah, I know."

Lois picked up the folder.

"So what was so important that you had to come all the way over here and tell me?" she asked.

"Look at the list of names," he told her.

Lois leafed through the file until she found the page.

"L. Luthor?" She stared at Clark uncomprehendingly. "Lex?"

"No, the signature doesn't match. It's still a theory, but I think it might be Lucas."

"You have a brother named Lucas? How come I didn't know about that?"

"Well, you know, it's one of those skeletons in the closet thing. And Lucas isn't exactly fond of the rest of us."

"Why would he be involved in the consortium?" Lois asked.

"That's what we have to find out," Clark said.

They talked strategy for a little while as they continued eating, then Clark noticed Lois looking at her watch and fidgeting.

"Okay, there had to be a reason you were dressed up," he said. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Um, well, Oliver called," she admitted. "And he kinda, sorta, asked me out for drinks."

Oh, did he now? That really wasn't playing fair, Clark thought. But he let it slide.

"Well, you look great. You'll have him begging for it."

Lois frowned. "I don't want him begging for it, I just ..."

"Lois, let me point out something to you. You know, when I first met you, I could see that you dressed for practicality. And your place, it actually screams comfort."

"What's wrong with practicality and comfort?" she asked.

"Nothing, except, no one wants to fuck it." Lois grimaced at that and he shrugged. "Well, you asked."

"You didn't have to be so crude about it."

"And that is why you haven't had a serious relationship in ... how long?"

"Um, I don't know."

"So tell me something, Lois, when you're with a guy, how do you, you know, act? I mean do you let him know he's desirable?"

"Well, no," she said reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"Well, because I ... I don't know."

"Do you even know how sexy you are?" Clark asked. "Look, if you want to attract a guy, you need to be two people."

"Huh?"

"You need to be the saint and the sinner."

He could see that Lois was starting to get a little annoyed, but he kept on.

"First, I guess I need to teach you how to flirt."

"I know how to flirt," Lois grumbled.

Clark looked at her, then spoke in a higher voice, mocking her.

"Hi, my name's Lois and I enjoy long walks on the beach and monster truck rallies."

"I do not talk like that," she told him.

"Actually you do."

"Screw you, Luthor. I can too flirt."

"Prove it then."

Clark gasped as she suddenly grabbed his ass.

"Hi, I'm Clark," she said, imitating his deep voice. "I'm God's gift to women. I'll fuck anything that walks. And I've got a big ..."

He grunted as she palmed his crotch.

"You are deeply disturbed, Lois," he said, desperately trying to will down the sudden erection before Lois realised ... Her eyes widened and he knew she'd felt it.

They both stared at each other for a long moment. Lois clearly wasn't aware that her hand was still on his crotch. Clark pulled away, trying to hide his own consternation at his arousal. It was all very well for him to play these games, but not when the tables were turned on him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped by the doorbell ringing. Lois looked panicked.

"Oh god, that's Oliver," she said.

Clark was in a quandary. He couldn't exactly stop Lois from seeing Oliver, not without looking like a complete asshole. And since Oliver knew of his interest in Lois, there was no way he could pull this off without his friend seeing him as just that. An asshole.

Lois grabbed her jacket and shrugged into it, then grabbed her purse.

"You can let yourself out," she said.

He didn't stop her as she opened the door and greeted Oliver with a friendly smile, leaving the house without looking back.

Clark sighed. So much for his brilliant plan.

"Great Luthor," he told himself. "Real slick!"


	15. Plans

Chapter Fifteen

Lois sat in the club with Oliver, sipping her glass of white wine. Oliver had talked a lot about his past, including the deaths of his parents when he was nine and how he had rebuilt his father's company after nearly losing it a few years ago.

"So how do you know Clark?" she asked.

"We were at boarding school together."

Lois frowned. "How could ... I mean, aren't you older than Clark?"

She remembered reading somewhere that Oliver was around Lex's age.

"Yes, but Clark is a certified genius," Oliver told her. "When he started at Excelsior he was only a few grades below Lex and I."

"So you became friends?" Lois asked.

Oliver smiled.

"Well, no, not right away. You see, I was kind of a spoilt brat in those days. Mind you, Lex and Clark weren't any better. Lex kind of resented the fact that Lionel held him back but he let Clark do pretty much what he wanted. Within reason, anyway. So we didn't really get along. At least, not until this kid we all knew came close to being killed in an accident. Clark ... well, Clark helped him. I mean, he was only nine at the time, but even then he was pretty tall for his age."

"So what happened? How did that change things between you?"

"Lionel. He bawled out Clark for being stupid. Lex jumped to his defence and I got behind Lex."

Lionel sounded like a real peach of a man. It was little wonder, then, that Clark was as arrogant as he was sometimes. Lois was sure if her father had been the same way, she might have grown up acting as spoiled as Clark.

"I have to admit I'm surprised to find Clark is working at the Daily Planet," Oliver continued. "Not that he isn't a good writer. It's just ... well, he doesn't really need to work. I mean, his cable show is doing all right, but he has enough money that he doesn't need a job."

"So he should be ... what, a playboy?"

Oliver grinned, sipping his scotch. "It's not like he doesn't already have that reputation."

Lois suddenly found herself defending Clark.

"Well, maybe he has his reasons for working at the Planet. And he is a good writer. You know, just because Lex owns the company it doesn't mean Clark used that to get the job. He actually works hard. Something you could probably learn a lot from."

"Whoa!" Oliver said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Sounds to me like you've got a case as bad as Clark's."

Lois frowned at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Nothing, forget I said anything." He shifted in his seat. "Enough about Clark. Tell me about you."

"What do you want to know?" she asked. "That your research hasn't already dug up?" She smiled smugly.

Oliver raised his glass. "Touche, Miss Lane."

Lois let him ask questions, now feeling like one of the men she'd often gone out with, especially when she'd pulled out her notebook and rattled off a list of subjects she'd thought would make good conversation starters. But even as she talked with Oliver, she found herself thinking about Clark, and something Oliver had said.

She wondered if Oliver was right. Did she have feelings for Clark? More to the point, did Clark have feelings for her?

When Oliver dropped her off home a couple of hours later, she got ready for bed, still thinking about that conversation. She barely tolerated Clark, didn't she? So why had she felt the need to defend Clark's actions, especially to the man who was supposedly his best friend.

Clark was still very much an enigma to her and that had her thinking that she really didn't know him. That was something she decided she needed to fix.

When she got into work the next morning, she called her cousin.

"'Lo?" Chloe said sleepily.

"Hey, it's me. Did I wake you?"

Lois heard a man's voice muttering and complaining and she felt a flush grow on her cheeks. Chloe said something which was muffled and Lois couldn't quite make it out. Chloe came back to the phone.

"Shit, sorry cuz. I guess I called at a bad time."

"No, it's okay," Chloe said, sounding a little more alert. "What's up?"

"I needed to ask you something. About Clark."

"What about him?"

"Well, do you know what happened between him and, what was her name? Lana?"

"No, I don't know, Lois. Sorry. What's going on? Are you and Clark ..."

"No, god no," she said hastily. "I was just curious, that's all."

"I wish I could help Lo, but sorry, we weren't even friends. All I know is, Lana dumped him and ever since then he's become a total womaniser." She paused. "You know, if you really want the answer, then I suggest you go directly to the source."

"I can't do that," she said. "I wouldn't want him to think I was, you know, interested."

"From what I hear of Clark's reputation, he'll think that anyway," Chloe laughed. "Listen, cuz, I'd like to sit and chat, but it's my day off and I have plans. Give me a call next week and we'll talk, okay?"

"Sure cuz. Sorry for waking you."

"It's okay. Looks like somebody thinks it's a perfect opportunity for, well, you know."

"Ugh, too much information cuz," Lois groaned.

She hung up from her cousin, chuckling. She missed Chloe, but clearly her cousin was very happy in Gotham and Lois wasn't about to object.

She thought for a while about the problem. She clearly couldn't go to the source. It was doubtful Clark would tell her anything anyway. And finding Lana Lang was going to be problematic.

Lois sat back, sighing. This wasn't getting any work done and she had no doubt Clark would come in at any time, asking her how the 'date' went. Although, could it technically have been called a date when it was just drinks?

And speak of the devil, she thought, as Clark strolled into her office.

"Morning," he said cheerily.

"Clark."

His expression showed exasperation at the coolness of her tone. But he seemed to ignore it, sprawling in the chair.

"So, how did it go last night?"

"Fine," she said shortly. Then she thought better. "Actually it was great," she amended, hoping he wouldn't catch her in the lie. "He seems a nice guy."

"He is," Clark said. He leaned forward, appearing interested. "Did he ask you out again?"

Lois grimaced. Actually, he hadn't. Story of her life, really. But she said nothing to Clark.

"So, I guess this means I've won the bet," she said hopefully.

Clark grinned at her. "Hell no. Did you forget the terms of the bet?"

"What terms?"

"First, you have to do the asking. Second, it's Friday night. What goes before is irrelevant."

Crap! He was right, damn it! Which meant she would have to ask Oliver out. And after last night, she wasn't sure he would accept. Not that it hadn't been good. It just wasn't great. There had been no signs at all of second date potential.

Clark was standing up and she looked at him.

"We need to go talk to Lex about this latest development in the story," he said.

"Oh. You mean because of Lucas? Just what happened between you guys?"

"You mean aside from the fact that our brother's a psycho?"

Lois looked at Clark, wondering if he was kidding. But from the expression on his face, she realised he wasn't.

"You really mean that, don't you?" she said.

"Afraid so."

"What did Lucas do that was so bad?" she asked.

"A few years ago he got mixed up with these lowlifes. They found out that Lucas was Lionel's illegitimate son and they thought they could use that to their advantage. And Lucas didn't even have the sense to realise the danger he was in. Or if he did, he didn't care. He took them on, killed them and didn't even bat an eye."

"Why is he out on the street?" Lois asked.

"Because Dad vouched for him. As far as Lionel was concerned, Lucas was a chip off the old block."

"That bites!" Lois said.

"Yeah. Lex doesn't trust him and neither do I. We don't have anything to do with him and he doesn't have anything to do with us and that's the way we like it."

"So, if he's involved with this consortium ..."

"That's what worries me," Clark told her. "I mean, you know Lionel was involved with a lot of criminal activity. Although, we both know that we could never actually prove Lionel's involvement. Lex and I figured out years ago that Lionel had his parents murdered for the insurance money and he used an old friend of his to do it."

Lois realised they had stopped walking and she looked up. They were outside Lex's office. Clark opened the door to the outer office and nodded at Lex's executive assistant.

"I'm sorry, but you can't ..." she began.

"This is important Anna," Clark told her.

Lois followed as Clark knocked briefly on Lex's door and went in. Lex looked up, frowning. He looked as if he'd been in a heavy discussion with the redheaded woman who was now standing beside the huge plate-glass window.

"Clark, I was in a meeting," Lex began.

"Sorry, but this is important," Clark said. "It's about Lucas."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him, then glanced at the redhead. Lois wondered what the looks exchanged between them meant.

"I should get out of the way," the woman said.

"No, wait a minute Tess. If this is about Lucas, then it concerns you too."

Lois saw Clark frown, looking from Tess to Lex and back again.

"What's going on, Lex?"

Lex seemed to flush guiltily.

"Look, I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure. Not until we had the DNA results."

"DNA?" Clark asked, sinking down into the plush leather chair beside Lex's desk. "Don't tell me ... another one of Lionel's 'mistakes'?"

Lex closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah. Sorry, Clark, I only found out about this a couple of months ago myself, and it took time for the results to come through." He waved a hand toward Tess. "Tess Mercer, meet Clark, your brother. Although technically, Clark's not a blood relative, since he was adopted."

"I know the story, Lex," Tess said softly. "Hello Clark. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances."

"Who ...?" Clark began. "What?"

"Believe me," Tess answered, sitting down on the couch, "this is just as much a shock to me as it is to both of you."

Lois saw Tess flick her a brief glance, but common sense told her to say nothing for the time being.

"How did we not know?" Clark asked.

"That's the whole point, Clark. I knew," Lex said. "Well, in a way, I suppose ... it's all very complicated, but Tess' mother was Pamela. Remember the woman who used to help Mom with accounts?"

Clark nodded.

"When I was five years old I was sent to live in an orphanage. I think that must have been about the time Lionel adopted you," Tess answered. "I was adopted by a couple who took me to live with them in Louisiana. My father ... my adoptive father, was a drunk and ... but that's neither here nor there."

"How did you find out?" Clark asked, sounding a little hoarse.

"I was going through some of Dad's papers and I found a birth certificate. For a Lutessa Luthor. And the mother's name on the certificate was Pam's." Lex leaned forward. "There's more. The same time I went to Europe, Lionel found Tess and hired her. He was slowly grooming her to take over should I refuse to take my place at his side. And Lionel was dealing with the consortium when he died."

Lois frowned. There was something not right about all this.

"When you say 'dealing', you don't mean he was working with them, do you?"

Lex seemed to see her for the first time. "Lois, forgive me. Tess, this is Lois Lane. She's an investigative reporter. In fact, Perry says she's the 'best damned investigative reporter' he's ever seen. She and Clark are working together on the story."

"Hello," Tess said. "I've read a lot of your work Miss Lane. And you are good."

"Thank you," Lois said. "And please call me Lois." She turned back to Lex. "You didn't answer my question."

"I think Tess can answer that better than I can," Lex said.

"You're right. Lionel wasn't working with the consortium. He was trying to drive them out. The one thing Lionel didn't like was competition."

"But of course the consortium had some people high up. Like the mayor," Lois answered. "Which meant Lionel was no longer the biggest game in town."

"About a month before Lionel died, he was approached by a member of the consortium. He had to be either with them, or against them," Tess said. "They told Lionel that if he continued to block them, then he would 'regret it'. It just got dirtier and dirtier until ..."

"Lionel dies of a heart attack," Clark said.

Lex looked at his brother. "I'm having Lionel's body exhumed and examined by experts in forensics."

Lois found her heart pounding. "You're thinking Lionel was murdered!"

Lex nodded soberly. "Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"We think Lucas is involved with the consortium," Clark told him. "A source found some documents signed by an 'L Luthor'. Dated after Lionel's death."

"I think you're right, Clark. I think Lucas is involved."

"Question is, how do we find him and how do we prove it? Lucas is legally known as Dunleavy, not Luthor."

Lois looked at Clark. "I think we just need to do this systematically. Talk to some sources on the street. Find out where Lucas might be hiding. And we should wait for the results of the forensic tests before we go making any decision about Lionel."

Lex nodded as he looked at her.

"You're the investigative reporter, Lois. And in that case, I choose to bow to the expert on this one."

Lois smiled briefly.

"Maybe we also need to find this Winslow Schott guy. My guess is, if his ego is as big as I think it is, then he will be desperate to shoot his mouth off."

"I think I know where we can start then," Clark said. "I'll call my source and get him to send us as much information as he has on Schott."

"Then we have a game plan," Lex said. "Tess, I need you to get us as much information as you can on what Lionel was working on a year ago. That might help us narrow down what this consortium is up to and why they wanted Lionel out of the picture."

"I'll get right on it," Tess nodded, smiling.

It was totally inappropriate, but Lois almost felt like she was at a strategy meeting for a high school football game. And she was the coach.

As she left the office with Clark, she felt a warmth steal over her. It was the same feeling she always got right before she broke a big story. Clark grinned at her.

"Is this how it always feels for you?" he asked as they stood in the lift waiting for it to descend to her floor.

"What do you mean?" she enquired.

"Like a huge buzz. Almost like adrenaline."

"Sometimes, yeah."

Clark's grin grew wider. "Well, I like it. It's almost as good as sex."

Lois rolled her eyes. He had to go and ruin a great moment with a throwaway remark like that.

"Is everything about sex with you?" she asked in exasperation.

Suddenly, Clark had her pushed up against the wall. He was leaning casually, close enough to be in her face, but not so close that she couldn't get away if she wanted to. The trouble was, she wasn't sure she did want to. She found herself looking deep into his green eyes, thinking how very like Crater Lake they were.

His lips were so close that Lois thought he might be about to kiss her. She fought the urge to lick suddenly dry lips, not wanting to give him an open invitation.

"Do you know you're sexy when you get all excited?" he said softly.

Lois felt the dull flush creep into her cheeks. She tried to slow her breathing down, but his nearness was making it almost impossible. She could smell his cologne and the earthy pine scent of the soap he'd used in the shower that morning. And something that was so raw, so Clark. She was dizzy, breathless, desperate for him to kiss her.

Not even Oliver Queen had made her feel like this, she thought, as his lips claimed hers. And it was everything she had imagined it to be. Warm and soft, yet she could feel the hardness of his body pressing into hers. Lois tentatively reached out to touch his muscular torso through the dress shirt he wore. He felt like steel covered in silk. She wanted to know more. To feel every inch of that hard body.

The ding of the lift announcing their arrival on her floor had them breaking apart. Lois quickly straightened up her clothes, touching a hand to the back of her head, making sure every hair was in its place. And just in time, she thought, as the doors opened. Cat was waiting on the other side. She gave Lois an odd look as the two women passed each other, but said nothing.

Saved by the bell, Lois thought.


	16. Romancing

Chapter Sixteen

Clark followed Lois out of the elevator, but he suddenly found himself feeling more than a little unsettled. Truth be told, if the bell hadn't 'dinged' to announce the doors opening, they might have been in a position that would have been considered 'compromising'.

Clark had had sex in a lot of different places. On a nude beach on the French Riviera, upright in a closed-in phone booth, in the back row of a movie theatre, a back alley, the driver's seat of his brother's Porsche, while driving at top speed down the open highway. He'd been arrested a few times and charged with everything from lewd behaviour to indecent exposure.

But all those times, he'd done it just for the thrill. This was the first time he'd done it because he'd forgotten for a moment where he was. Just the taste of her, the sweetness of wild cherries, the faint scent of her perfume, the perfect creaminess of her skin ...

Biting his lip, Clark stared at Lois' retreating ass and wondered what if he had pressed the 'stop' button in the elevator.

With a smile playing on his lips, Clark replayed the scene in his mind. Or how it should have gone.

He would have cornered her, kissing her hard, his tongue plundering her mouth, but then withdrawing a little, softening the kiss until she whimpered. His hands would have explored her body, pushing her against the wall as he cupped her luscious breasts, his thumbs tracing her nipples until she gasped.

Then he would have slowly slid his hands downward, one hand moving up under her skirt to rub her sex through her panties. Lois would have been wet, her breaths coming in short pants as he easily snapped the elastic of her panties, his finger sliding up to be encased in her moist heat. And he would ...

"Luthor! You going to stand there dreaming all day or you actually going to do some work?"

Clark lifted his head and looked at Lois, mortified at being caught out in the middle of a fantasy. Especially when she had a starring role.

Lois crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him.

"I knew it. Sex on the brain! You'll never make it as a reporter at this rate."

He blinked at her, then realised she was looking down at his crotch. Shit! he thought, fighting the urge to cover the bulge in his trousers, evidence of his arousal. I need damage control.

"Thinking about your latest conquest?" she gloated. "What was her name?"

"Who?" he asked.

"The girl in the store?" Lois reminded him.

Clark had long forgotten about that girl.

"Actually, I was thinking about you," he told her, crowding her against the wall just outside her office. He breathed in her scent. Lilies and honeysuckle and the faint citrusy smell of the shampoo she'd used that morning. It reminded him strongly of his mother.

Lois' lips parted slightly, as if she thought he was going to kiss her again. He decided to move in for the kill and she shoved him away.

"Yeah, right! Where have I heard that one before?"

"I'm serious," he said, entering her office.

"And I'm a monkey's uncle. How gullible do you think I am?" she asked.

Clark sighed and shook his head. He knew what Lionel would have told him. 'Don't waste time on frivolous pursuits son. There is no room in business for emotional involvement'. He wondered what the old man would have said if he'd told him that he was full of shit. But Clark had to admit the old man might have had a teeny tiny point. This attraction to Lois was getting in the way. If he was losing himself in fantasies about her, then he was in serious trouble.

"Keep up, Luthor. I don't have all day."

Clark looked up, realising his mind had wandered yet again. What was it about this woman that had him so distracted? It was driving him insane!

But in the back of his mind, a little voice told him the unwanted answer. 'You're in love with her, you schmuck!'

Lois was already on her way out of the door again, having picked up her notebook. Clark chased after her.

"So where are we going?"

"To talk to a source."

She went outside and stuck out a hand, waving to an approaching yellow cab.

"Taxi!" she yelled.

The taxi drove straight on by and Lois huffed in annoyance. "Typical!"

Clark put his fingers in his mouth to whistle and she glowered at him.

"I am perfectly capable of getting my own taxi, thank you," she said, tossing her head back. It would have been more effective if her hair had been down, but whatever, Clark thought.

He watched with interest as she stuck her hand out again when another taxi approached, this time plastering a sexy smile on her face. Clark stared dubiously. There was no way in hell this was going to work. Except it was. The driver had not only slowed down, but he was clearly going to stop. For a moment, Clark even thought the driver might actually get out of the car and hold the door open for her as if he was one of Lex's chauffeurs.

Lois smirked at him triumphantly as she opened the door.

"You coming? Or are you going to stand there gawping?"

Clark frowned. When had Lois actually picked up some attitude? Oh, right, he'd forgotten. There was a huge difference between Lois Lane the reporter, and Lois Lane the woman. And she was clearly in reporter mode now.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

"5th and Salisbury," she told him as they both got in the back seat.

Clark wrinkled his nose. The taxi smelled like something had crawled up the tailpipe and died. Or worse still, a skunk had got in somehow and sprayed everywhere.

Lois must have noticed the stench as well as she quickly tried to wind the window down.

"Sorry about that," the driver said, when the window wouldn't budge. "Been meaning to get that fixed."

Lois looked at Clark and her expression suggested he better just keep his mouth shut, or else. Clark rolled his eyes, wishing he could use his heat vision, or his finger at least, to break the window.

"Hey, aren't you that guy from that cable show?"

Clark frowned at the driver, who was peering at him in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, yeah, The Naked Truth. Man, I love that show. And my wife thinks you're a hoot!"

"Oh really?" Clark said, smirking. "Nice to meet a fan."

"Oh yeah. I really loved that one you did with, you know, the Battle of the Sexes. Jelly wrestling. Of course, me and the wife, we do our own kind of wrestling, you know? You really helped us spice things up." The guy winked at him.

Clark noted the sour expression on Lois' face, as if she'd swallowed a lemon. The point of that particular episode had been to show the difference between men's fantasies and women's fantasies.

The driver kept talking about other episodes and Clark responded automatically, revelling in the man's praise, but he couldn't help noticing Lois' expression getting darker and darker.

By the time they reached the destination, Lois was glaring at him like she was wishing she was the one who had the heat vision and she dearly wanted to fry him to a crisp. She flung open her door and got out, clearly expecting Clark to pay.

Clark handed the man his fare, plus a hefty tip. The man stared at the wad of cash in his hand.

"Whoa, thanks."

"Do me a favour buddy and get your car detailed. And here," he said, pulling a business card out of his pocket. "Take your wife to dinner at Mario's. Tell him I sent you. The tab will be on me. And trust me, dinner there, your wife won't be able to keep her hands off you."

Mario's was an exclusive restaurant in the up-market district. The waiting time for reservations there was a month, or longer, but Clark had a table reserved ever since he'd saved the restaurant from burning down, then helped Mario cut through some red tape when he'd wanted to do some extensive renovations. The girl at City Hall had been 'helpful' in more ways than one. Mario was one of the few people who knew Clark was The Blur.

"Hey, thanks Mr Luthor," the driver said. He glanced at Lois, tapping her foot impatiently on the sidewalk. "You've got your hands full there, I'd say."

Clark grinned. "Tell me about it!"

He joined Lois on the sidewalk, suddenly noticing the shabbiness of the surrounding buildings. They were in what used to be known as Suicide Slum.

"Your source is here?" he asked.

"Yes!" Lois said shortly.

"What is with you?" he asked, frowning at her.

"Jello wrestling?"

"Jelly wrestling," he corrected. "And it worked for that guy."

Lois rolled her eyes. "And here I was actually falling for the nice guy routine, when that just reminded me how big a jerk you really are."

"What did I do?" he protested.

"Well, if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you," Lois announced, walking off.

Clark sighed, shaking his head. "Women! Earth women!" He went after her, stopping her before she could open the door to a run-down old building. "Lois, in case it escaped your notice the first time, my show is about the battle of the sexes. And so what if I use something like jelly wrestling to prove my point? You know, just because you're a goddamn prude ..."

"I am not a prude!" she hissed fiercely. "What you don't get is, it's demoralising!"

"Two girls wrestling in jelly? That's every man's fantasy. Well, every hetero man's fantasy. And don't tell me that women don't have fantasies about men in the same way."

"It's disgusting. It totally objectifies women, and ..."

"Did you get that out of a Psych 101 textbook?" he retorted. "You refuse to admit I'm right. Don't yell at me and tell me that I'm objectifying women when women are just as guilty of doing the same thing."

"And how are we objectifying men?" Lois asked.

"Do you look at pin-ups?" he asked. "Of beefy guys in just their underwear?"

"What does that have to do with anything? I'm only looking. It's not like I fantasise ..."

But Clark could see from her expression that he was winning the argument. Lois had a guilty flush on her cheeks.

"My point exactly."

"Well that's just ... argh! I can never win with you."

She turned away from him and went into the building. Clark sighed, looking around, noticing other people milling around. Several of them looked as if they were part of one of the local gangs in this neighbourhood. He didn't like this at all.

"I'm so dead," he groaned to himself. Lex was going to kill him for letting Lois drag them both down here.

He turned and followed Lois into the building. It was an old apartment building which should have been abandoned years ago. Rats scurried along the side of the lobby, among the rubbish and leaves that had blown in. Clearly no one had cleaned in a long, long time. And there was what looked suspiciously like vomit, or even worse, human faeces on the walls. And was that blood? Clark thought as he stared at a huge stain which covered part of the floor and the walls.

Lois was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Thought for a moment you'd got lost," she said with a smirk.

"You know, Lex wanted me to keep you out of trouble," he told her.

"I let you come with me, didn't I?" she answered. "Relax. You'll live longer."

"How do people live like this?" he asked.

"Aw, poor spoiled rich kid," Lois retorted. "You know, if you actually got off that spoiled ass of yours and stopped thinking the world revolved around you, you might see that there are people who do live like this."

"They have a choice."

"And not everyone is as lucky as you, Luthor. And some end up this way because they care about doing what's right."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. "Are you saying I don't care about what's right?"

"No. But your father sure as hell didn't. The guy we're going to see is one of those who got royally screwed over by Lionel."

Clark bit his lip even as he climbed up the stairs with her. If that was the case, he thought, then this guy wasn't going to be happy to see him.

"Don't worry," Lois continued, almost as if she'd read his mind. "I doubt he can even afford cable, let alone watch it. And I doubt he takes any notice of the society pages. Or the gossip rags."

The hallway they were walking along was just as filthy as the lobby, and Clark could swear the walls were crumbling. The veneer, or whatever it was they'd used on the walls was cracked and broken in places. And there appeared to be a huge water stain.

God, how do people live like this? Clark thought, aware he'd already asked that question.

Lois walked boldly up to the door of 9G and rapped soundly on the wood. Clark heard an ominous crack and winced. Imagine, he thought, if I'd knocked. The door probably would have fallen off its hinges.

"Yes?" a voice asked politely.

"It's me. Lois." Lois' voice was soft as if she didn't want to alarm the man inside.

Clark heard the man shuffling to the door and it opened slowly.

"Lois, what brings you here?" he asked.

Clark gaped at the man. He knew him. He'd met him. So much for anonymity, he sighed.

"We needed to talk to you," Lois said. "Can we come in Uncle Gabe?"

Clark closed his eyes in dismay. Gabe Sullivan. Chloe's father. And he'd been the manager at the plant in Smallville when Lex had taken it over. Clark had met the man when he'd been made to attend a Christmas party at the manor the year he was fourteen.

Gabe was looking him over.

"Clark? Lionel Luthor's son?"

Lois suddenly looked a little concerned as she glanced at Clark. Clark, on the other hand, decided honesty was the best policy.

"Uh, yes, Mr Sullivan. It's me."

"Well, don't stand on my doorstep, son," Gabe said. "Come in."

For all the horror outside, the tiny apartment was sparkling clean. Gabe was clearly a man who took a lot of pride in himself, where ever he was.

Clark sat on the couch, looking up at the older man. Gabe had aged badly. His once dark hair had thinned and become grey. But abject poverty could do that.

"Sir, I don't understand," Clark said. "Why are you living here?"

Gabe smiled weakly. "Call it pride. When your father closed down the plant, we all tried to get new jobs, but with the recession, there were just no jobs to be had. Not for my qualifications anyway." He chuckled, although it sounded false. "Do you see any crap factories in Metropolis?"

"I'm sorry," Lois sighed. "I didn't know you two knew each other that well."

"I hold no grudges against Clark. Or against his brother. Lex came to me and told me about his baby daughter and his plans to take her away where she would be safe from Lionel. He did admit he was worried what might happen with the plant, especially after Lionel took Lexcorp over and had it reabsorbed into Luthorcorp, but I didn't blame Lex for one single thing that happened after he left. Nor do I blame you Clark."

"But if I'd known ..." Clark began.

Gabe looked at him evenly. "You would have not been able to do anything anyway," Gabe assured him. "And the fact is, you didn't know. I'm a proud man, Clark. I don't like to admit my failings to anyone. Even to my own daughter." He glanced at Lois. "I hope you haven't said anything ..."

"I kept my promise Uncle Gabe," Lois said with a nod. "Although I wish you'd at least accept my help."

"What are you doing now, sir?" Clark asked before Gabe could argue with his niece.

"I work as a janitor at the local high school. It doesn't pay very much, of course, but ..."

"Would you allow me to talk to Lex?" Clark asked. "I'm sure Lex can help you get a better paying job. One you're more qualified for."

"Thank you, Clark, but I choose to make my own way."

"But it's Lionel's fault you're in this position," Clark argued. "And maybe, indirectly, ours, because we did nothing about it. We could have at least worked things out so no one would suffer if the plant closed."

"Please Uncle Gabe. This is no time for the Sullivan pride."

Gabe smiled at Clark. "Let me give you a piece of advice, son. Never try to argue with a Lane."

Clark returned the smile. "I'll keep that in mind, sir."

"So, what can I do for you kids?" Gabe asked. "Can I make you some coffee?"

"That would be great Uncle Gabe," Lois smiled.

Gabe returned within a few minutes holding a tray with coffee mugs and cream and sugar. Clark took a mug and poured cream, then sweetened the coffee.

"So, I'm guessing you two are here about a story," Gabe said as he settled back into his chair with his own coffee.

Lois nodded.

"Uncle Gabe, I know you hear a lot about what goes on in this neighbourhood. And we're working on a story about a business consortium. One of the people involved might be Clark and Lex's brother, Lucas."

Gabe frowned. "Are you talking about Lucas Dunleavy? The boy is bad news, that much I can tell you."

Of course, Clark thought. Gabe would have met him when Lionel tried to manipulate Lucas into giving up his shares in Luthorcorp. Lucas would have visited the plant.

"Do you know of his current whereabouts?"

"No, but I may know someone who does. Well, let's just say he 'knows guys who know guys'. I can give him a call and ask him to meet with you." Gabe looked at Clark. "Lou's a bit of a rough character, but by the look of you, I think you can handle him. Lou has a bar on Main. He deals with some of the local criminals around the Slums. And believe me, if they don't know where Lucas is, then no one does."

He studied them both. Clark cringed a little at the man's scrutiny, feeling a little like a lab experiment. He wondered if Lionel had had something to do with the reason Gabe had never been able to get another job in his field. It was certainly something he could believe the old man doing.

"Why are you so interested in this consortium?" Gabe asked.

"Well, for one thing, we believe they may be spearheading corruption at City Hall. We're just not too sure how deep this goes."

"And the other?"

"Well, we don't have any proof yet, but Lionel might have been murdered."

Gabe nodded. "That doesn't surprise me."

They left an hour later, once Gabe had made the call to Lou. The bar was a couple of blocks from the apartment building.

Clark paused in the doorway.

"I'm going to talk to Lex," he promised Gabe, who nodded. The man might have his pride, but Clark couldn't let him live like this.

"Clark, I have one more thing to say. I know what happened between you and my daughter. I remember what you were like as a teenager and frankly I didn't like you then. I thought you were, excuse the language, an arrogant little prick and what you did to Chloe was abhorrent. But I meant what I said. I don't hold you and your brother personally responsible for the things your father did. You are not Lionel. Either of you. And one more thing. If you treat Lois the same way you did my daughter then I will do my best to beat you to a pulp. Do we understand each other?"

Clark gulped. He could see the man meant exactly what he was saying. Just because it wasn't possible, it didn't mean that Gabe wouldn't give it a damn good try. Clark had the feeling that Gabe had been civil for Lois' sake. And truth be told, Clark couldn't blame him.

Lou proved just as helpful as Gabe, promising to put some feelers out and assuring Lois he would call her immediately with any information.

Clark left Lois in her office, then went upstairs to see Lex.

"Any news?" he asked his brother.

"It's going to take time to cut through the red tape, but I contacted the local CSI unit and they're looking into it."

Clark frowned.

"Why wasn't the autopsy done in the first place?"

Lex shrugged. "I don't know."

"Lex, there was something else. Lois' source was Gabe Sullivan. He lives in a rundown apartment building on 5th and Salisbury."

Lex frowned. "What?"

Clark nodded. "He lost his job when Lionel closed the plant and couldn't get another one like it. He's a janitor at the local high school."

Lex sighed. "Gabe was a damn good manager. Are you seriously telling me he couldn't get a better paying job?"

"I think Lionel might have blacklisted him. Gabe mentioned something about Lionel not liking his workers speaking out."

"Shit! Give me his phone number. I'm going to make some calls. A man like Gabe is wasted in a janitorial position."

Clark did so, watching as Lex wrote down the number. His brother looked up at him.

"Listen, I know you hate monkey suits, but I really need a favour. There's an exhibition opening tonight at the museum and they're expecting both of us there."

"Oh no, Lex, you know I hate those things."

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," Lex said, almost in protest. "It's the new Luthor wing. Cat will be there, covering it for the Planet."

"Still not floating my boat," Clark said grimacing.

"Would it help if I said please?" his brother cajoled, putting on almost a puppy dog look. Clark growled.

"You look so much like your daughter when you do that."

"Shouldn't it be that Lena looks like me when she does it?" Lex grinned, knowing he'd won.

"Fine, Lex. I'll go. But you owe me. And at the rate you're going with these IOUs you'll owe me long after you're dead and buried."

"Perish the thought," his brother answered.

With a sigh, Clark went back down to Lois' office. She was scowling at the computer.

"You look confused," he said.

Lois looked up at him. "Do I?"

"Yes."

"Well, maybe it's because you confuse me," she answered. "I mean, I really don't get you."

"What did I do now?" he asked, giving a long-suffering sigh.

"Like with Uncle Gabe you were all 'yes sir', but you go and act like a total jerk when it's just me."

Clark bit his lip. "You're right. I'm sorry. I have been a colossal tool and I need to learn to back off."

Lois started to say something, as if she was going to accept his apology, then stopped.

"Okay, what do you want, Luthor?"

"Who says I want anything?" he asked, trying to look innocent.

"Because you wouldn't apologise unless you wanted something."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Okay, you got me. Lex is making me go to this black tie thing at the museum tonight and I don't want to go alone."

"Are you suggesting we go out on a date?" she asked.

"Well, no. I mean, yeah, I guess you'd be my date, but we could make it business if it would make you feel any better."

"It would," she answered. "Is it being covered?"

"Yeah, Cat's covering it."

It was Lois' turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, great!"

"So you'll come with?" he asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"Make it seven-thirty," she said.

"The thing starts at eight," he told her. "And it's all the way across town from your place."

"Then we'll make an entrance," she said.

Clark hated black tie affairs. He hated tuxedos even more. But the event was about more than an exhibition opening. The Luthor wing of the museum was being opened for the first time that evening. Since Lionel had been a powerful figure in the city, the museum had chosen to name the wing after Lionel. And as his sons, Clark and Lex, or at least, Lex, were under obligation to be there.

Right on seven-thirty, Clark knocked on Lois' door. She came out, wearing a stunning strapless white gown with hundreds of tiny sequins dotted in a pattern over the skirt. Her make-up was perfect and her hair was pulled back into a knot, with stray curls falling naturally around her face.

"Wow!" Clark exclaimed. "You look amazing!"

Lois smiled, her expression clearly suggesting she felt the same way about him.

"You should wear monkey suits often," she told him, giving his bow tie a quick tug to make it sit straight.

"Nah!" he answered. "Give me a good pair of jeans, bottle of beer and I'm set."

Lois chuckled. "You really do break the mould, don't you?"

Lex was watching anxiously near the doorway as they entered. He approached them.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Chill, Lex. I'm here, aren't I?" Clark answered.

"I suppose. Lois, you look stunning!" he added, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Lex. You scrub up nicely as well."

They entered the museum together, only a few minutes late for the speeches. Clark grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Lois. It wasn't the genuine champagne he'd tried in France, but it was close.

He gulped his first glass down quickly, hoping the slight buzz he would get from the wine would help him get through the evening. He pulled at his collar, noticing Lex watching as he grabbed another glass.

"Slow down," Lex whispered. "Or Lois is going to think you'll be too drunk to drive."

"You know I don't get drunk, Lex," Clark whispered back.

"But she doesn't know that. And try to behave like a gentleman."

Clark sent his brother a look, but slowed down his drinking. As soon as the speeches were over he took the opportunity to mingle. As he turned to see where Lois had got to and saw her talking to a girl who looked a lot like her cousin. And was that ... Clark groaned. Bruce Wayne.

The Gotham billionaire looked him over coolly as he approached.

"Well, Luthor, seems you scrub up rather well."

"Wayne," Clark said shortly.

Lois touched his arm. "Clark, you remember my cousin Chloe," she said.

The blonde looked beautiful in an emerald green gown that set off the green in her eyes.

"Hello Chloe. You look beautiful," he said honestly.

"Clark. It's been a while."

He nodded, feeling a flush of embarrassment. It was, for want of a better word, an alien feeling.

The two girls began chatting happily, clearly catching up, while Clark and Bruce glared daggers at each other.

Clark only knew of Bruce through Lex. Bruce had been an upperclassman at Excelsior when Lex had started there a year after the accident in Smallville, and they'd become fairly good friends. At least until Lionel had intervened. Lionel didn't believe in cultivating friendships. Business relationships, yes.

Bruce had disappeared for a few years, presumed dead, until he'd returned from Asia, very much alive. He'd taken over the reins of Wayne Enterprises and, despite his playboy reputation, had proven himself a very capable businessman. He'd come to Metropolis to discuss business deals with Lionel, and had once visited Smallville. But he'd always looked at Clark as Lex's bratty younger brother and had little time for him.

"Chloe tells me you and Lois are working together," Bruce said.

"So are you dating Chloe?" Clark asked.

"That's none of your business," Bruce snapped. "And I don't think I need discuss that with you."

"Just what is your problem, Bruce?" Clark asked.

"You, Clark. You're my fucking problem. I don't like you and I don't trust you. And I'm only here tonight because Chloe is concerned about her cousin."

Oh here it comes, Clark thought. He's going to warn me off Lois as well. What was it with everyone that they thought he was so untrustworthy with women that they needed protecting from him?

Clark managed to drag Lois aside for a few moments.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, glaring at him.

"I'll tell you what's wrong. It seems that everyone is suddenly accusing me of being the Big Bad Wolf when it comes to you and I'm sick and tired of it!"

"That's because when it comes to women, you are the Big Bad Wolf," she told him.

"I can change," he insisted.

"Right. A leopard doesn't change its spots, Clark." She pulled away from him and went back to Chloe's side. Chloe turned her head and smirked at him.

"You're wrong, Lois," he said softly. "And I'm going to prove it to you."

Forget the seduction, he decided. He was going to romance her. Wine her and dine her and make her forget all about all those other women he'd dated. He was going to make her see that she was, now and forever, the only woman he ever wanted or needed. Even if it killed him.


	17. Intervention

Chapter Seventeen

Lois found herself frowning at Clark, even as Chloe pulled her away. He was acting weirder than usual.

"Earth to Lois!"

Lois looked at her cousin. "What?"

The blonde looked her over thoughtfully. "Okay, out with it."

"Out with what?"

"You're staring at him like he's got two heads or something."

"I'm really not in the mood for a Chloe quip right now," she returned.

"Oh no," Chloe sighed.

"Oh no what?"

"You've fallen for him."

"I have not!" Lois protested. "He's a jerk and I don't feel anything for him at all."

"Denial!" Chloe said in a singsong voice.

"I am not in denial!"

"Are you kidding? You're Cleopatra. What did I tell you about Luthor?"

"And don't you think you're biased because of what he did to you?" Lois returned.

"I got over that, Lois, I told you that. And why are you defending him all of a sudden?"

"I'm not defending him. I just think your judgement might be a little clouded, that's all."

"Whatever!"

Lois noticed Bruce touching Chloe's arm and whispering something in her ear. Chloe frowned at him for a moment.

"Do you really have to?" she asked. "We're not here to ..."

Bruce shook his head and Chloe sighed.

"All right. Fine! I'll see you back at the hotel."

Lois looked at her cousin as Bruce walked off.

"Trouble in paradise?" she asked. "You know, I have to wonder why you've never mentioned you're dating Bruce Wayne. Of all people. And you want to talk about Clark's reputation. What about his? Everyone knows he's a playboy."

"Bruce has his reasons," Chloe said firmly. "And we're not exactly out to the general public yet."

"So why are you both here, then? At a black tie event? Considering there are reporters covering this shindig."

"Because people don't know me so well here," Chloe told her. "And I came here because I was concerned about you."

Lois huffed. "Concerned about me? For what?"

Chloe shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of annoyance. "We need to talk, Lois. But not here."

"Well, I can't just leave. Clark brought me."

Her cousin shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Well, tell Clark you'll get a taxi home. Or do you two have 'plans' later?"

"We're not here on a date, Chloe. It's business!"

"Sure!" Chloe said, rolling her eyes.

Lois went to find Clark to tell him she was taking off, but it turned out it was unnecessary. He was looking a little uncomfortable, his expression otherwise unreadable.

"Clark?"

"Lois, uh, listen, something's come up and I ..." He took out his wallet and pulled out some money. "I really hate to do this but will you be okay to catch a cab home?"

Lois looked at the money in his hand. "I can pay for a cab myself."

"But I feel really bad that I'm abandoning you," he said.

Lois sighed. "Clark, it's fine. You're clearly only here because Lex asked you to be here. You've done your duty and you don't have to stay for me."

Clark seemed to be relieved. "Lois, you are one in a million," he said, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. And Lois was a little disappointed with that.

She rejoined Chloe, not mentioning Clark's excuse and sudden need to disappear.

"So?" she asked.

"We'll go back to your place," Chloe told her. "Come on."

"Hold on. Let me go say goodbye to Lex first," Lois said. Chloe gave her a look. "Well, he is my boss," Lois added.

Lex looked as if Clark's disappearance was something he'd come to expect.

"Looks like we've both been abandoned," he said with a little smile.

"Yeah. And I hate to do this, Lex, but ..." She glanced toward the corner where Chloe was waiting. "My cousin's here and her date just bailed on her too."

She didn't miss the sardonic lift of Lex's eyebrow at the mention of the word 'date' but didn't respond.

"Of course, Lois. I appreciate the fact that you came."

"You're welcome, Lex," she said with a smile.

The ride back to her townhouse was filled with a heavy silence. She had the impression that Chloe wasn't too thrilled with her at the moment. As soon as they were inside, Lois kicked off her high heeled shoes and let her hair down. Chloe followed suit, sinking down in the comfortable armchair with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, cuz," Lois said. "Spill."

"Lo, it's not just your call this morning, which, by the way, pissed Bruce off. He likes a lie-in in the mornings."

"Well, how was I supposed to know you were sleeping over? I'm not psychic."

"I know that," Chloe said. "Take a chill pill Lois. I told him he had no right to be pissed, since I hadn't actually told you we were dating."

"Yeah, and how long has this been going on?"

"We're not here to discuss my love life, Lois. We're here to discuss yours. Or rather, your up until now, non-existent love life."

"There is nothing wrong with my love life," Lois insisted. "I go out on dates."

"Interviews, Lois. Not dates."

Lois frowned. Lucy had said the same thing.

"You've been talking to Lucy."

"So what? She's my cousin too."

Lois sighed. "All right, fine. So my love life is sort of a natural disaster at the moment. There's no need to call out the National Guard!"

"I think there is, Lois. Especially when I hear you talking about Clark Luthor. The man might be good-looking, but he is a wolf. Make no mistake about that."

"Just what have I said that gave you the impression I was into Clark Luthor?" Lois asked.

"For one thing, you've been complaining non-stop in your emails about him for two weeks. Ever since he started at the Daily Planet. It's all 'Luthor did this', 'Luthor did that'. And frankly, that worries me."

"I am not planning on dating Clark Luthor," Lois said firmly.

"Then why do I get the impression you actually have feelings for this guy? Lois, you can say I'm biased, but remember the guy did have sex with me and then dump me. He will do the same thing to you. Mark my words."

"Maybe he's changed."

"And didn't you tell him tonight that a leopard can't change its spots?"

"Well ..." Lois was beginning to feel like this was an intervention. "Chloe ..."

"What's happened to you, Lo? What happened to the girl who didn't care what anyone else thought? Who used a tank to go to prom? Who would sneak out at night to go to a club even though the general would ground her in a second? Where is the smart, sexy, devil may care Lois?"

"She grew up."

"No," Chloe said, leaning forward. "She became so busy being the career woman, the award-winning journalist, she's forgotten how to be the woman. She's taking advice on her love life from, of all people, a cable show host and Metropolis' resident Lothario."

"How do you know ..." Lois shut up, but the damage was done. Chloe smirked.

"You're not the only one with sources," she said.

"And yet you don't know that your dad's living in a hovel."

Chloe's expression darkened. "I do know, Lois. The difference is, he's too proud to let me help him. And believe me, I have tried. I've talked until I was blue in the face. And I don't want to talk about my father."

Lois was all talked out by the time Chloe left and she fell into bed exhausted. She had come to the realisation that Chloe was right. She had spent so much of her energy on building her career, she had neglected the other part of her life. And that bothered her more than she cared to admit.

What was she doing taking advice from someone like Clark? She was perfectly capable of getting dates. And okay, so she hadn't exactly been dressing to please herself. The problem was, she had started listening to the wrong advice.

Her first year of college, she hadn't exactly been the best student. She had been more interested in socialising and drinking games with jocks, just to prove that she was tough. More than once, she had been dragged up before the disciplinary committee for drinking under-age. It wasn't until a drinking game had gone horribly wrong for another student that Lois had realised the danger she had been in and she had started focusing on her studies more.

Her third year, she had studied under a professor in journalism who had pulled her aside one day.

"_Lois, you're a good student, when you focus, and I think you would make a fine journalist one day, but, and please don't take this as a criticism, I just think you really need to take another look at your wardrobe."_

"_What's wrong with it?" she asked._

_She'd always worn nice tops which showed off her 'assets' and she'd started dressing in outfits that were a little more professional, or rather, more suited to the job of a journalist. She'd scored an internship at The Inquisitor that summer and they'd asked her to wear skirts or dress pants, rather than jeans, and blouses and jackets._

"_There's nothing wrong with it, per se," Professor Malcolm told her, "it's just that they tend to be a little too distracting. You're a very attractive girl, Lois, and I just feel that perhaps you need to dial it down a little. I mean, do you see the likes of Diane Sawyer wearing low-cut blouses? Let's face it. You're not auditioning to be a catwalk model."_

_Lois had been angry for a while, until she noticed the way some of the young men in her class looked at her. And she'd realised her professor might have had a point. So she'd started wearing tops that were more practical, and wearing her hair up._

The outfits Clark had bought her had been closer to the styles she'd worn in college that her professor had so soundly criticised.

It wasn't just the clothing either. Her first year as a full-time journalist, she had dated one of her co-workers. She'd thought she'd loved him, until he'd stolen a story idea from her and pretended it was his. He'd not only got a front page story, but he'd also been promoted. Lois had vowed from then on that nothing would get in the way of her career. She would not only avoid dating co-workers – and she'd broken that vow when she'd dated Brady for five minutes – but she would also not let her love-life interfere with her career.

She'd built up so many walls around herself that she had few friends. And Clark was breaking down those walls. Whether she wanted him to or not.

She needed to get him out of her head. And the only way to do that was to date someone else, she decided. And Oliver Queen just might fit the bill.

No time like the present, she decided, as she got into work the next morning. She called Oliver on his cellphone.

"Hi, it's Lois," she said.

"Lois." His response was a low chuckle. "I was hoping I might hear from you again."

"I was wondering if you'd like to meet me for lunch," she said. "That's if you're not busy."

"Lois, I will make the time for you. How does one o'clock sound? There's this great Japanese restaurant not too far from your office."

Which probably meant sushi. Lois hated sushi. She thought quickly.

"Um, why don't we try Montebello's?" she suggested. "It's only a couple of blocks from the Planet."

"Want me to pick you up?" Oliver asked.

"No. I'll meet you there," she said, glancing up as Clark came in. She quickly said goodbye and hung up.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"To meet a source," she told him without batting an eyelid. "And he's the kind of source who can be a bit cagey," she lied. "Doesn't like new faces."

"Oh. Well, Lou called and left a message on your voicemail. He wants to meet with us later."

Lois nodded. "I tell you what, Clark. Why don't you go talk to Lou and I'll go meet with my source?"

"You're not coming?" he asked, frowning at her.

She smirked at him. "Well, you know, sometimes you just have to let the baby bird find its own way out of the nest."

His frown deepened. "What?"

"You know the questions to ask, Clark. You know what we need. Or do you really need me to hold your hand?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course not, Lois."

"Or maybe you're just afraid to set foot in that neighbourhood all by your lonesome," she said snarkily. "I mean, you weren't exactly happy about it yesterday."

"That's because Lex told me to keep you out of trouble," he retorted. "But whatever. I'll just get the story and get all the credit."

"Yeah, you do that," she told him, knowing full well it was going to take more than talking with one source to break the story.

He was giving her odd looks. Like the 'Lois has either lost the plot or Lois is up to something' look. But she didn't care. She was going to get over these feelings for him, even if it killed her. And if that meant she had to keep things professional between them, then so be it.

They walked upstairs to the boardroom for the usual editorial meeting. Cat was gushing about the exhibition.

"Oh my god, did you see Bruce Wayne there? He is sooo dreamy! I wonder who the girl was with him? Did anyone get any photos of them?"

"Cat, we're not a tabloid rag," Perry answered. Then he looked at Lex, who had come in. "Actually, that's a very good question. What was Bruce Wayne doing in this neck of the woods?"

"We have mutual business," Lex said. "And as for the girl with him, perhaps you'd better ask Lois that question. From what Bruce tells me, the matter is private and he does not wish to discuss his personal life."

Perry looked at Lois, his eyes questioning. "Well, Lois?"

"Off the record, Chief?" she asked. He nodded. "She's my cousin. And they're friends. She works for a newspaper in Gotham."

"Which begs the question, if they're only friends, why did they attend such an important event together?"

"I don't know, Chief," Lois said quietly.

"And speaking of visitors from Gotham," Bill Schuster said. "I hear Batman was spotted in the city last night."

Everyone began murmuring, clearly wondering what the Dark Knight was doing so far away from home. Lois glanced at Lex, who, oddly enough, was staring at Clark with a questioning look.

What the hell was that all about? Lois wondered.

"It appears the Blur was busy last night too," Lex said.

Clark nodded. "There was a four-alarm fire south side. I was talking to a cop at the 17th Precinct this morning and he told me it was an apartment building. The Blur managed to put out the fire in seconds. After that, there was an armed robbery at Richter's Jewellery across town. The Blur managed to get in and stop the robbers from shooting the old man."

"And no one saw his face?" Lex asked.

"Nope. The old man told the cops The Blur was moving too fast."

"So how do we know it was The Blur?" Lex said, looking again at Clark.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" Lois answered. "I mean, who else but The Blur would be that fast?"

"I see questions," Perry said. "Follow ups. A headline. 'Who is The Blur?' Vigilante or hero?"

"Speaking of headlines," Lex prompted. "Lois, Clark, let's hear from you."

"We're chasing a few leads," Lois spoke up before Clark could open his mouth. "Clark's meeting with a source in Suicide Slums this afternoon, while I have a meeting up town with another source."

Lex nodded. "Great. Keep me posted. Clark, when this meeting is done, I need to see you in my office."

Clark nodded. "Sure Lex."

As soon as the meeting was done, Lois went back to her office to find someone had delivered a bouquet of flowers. Yellow Chrysanthemums, to be exact. And from what she knew about the meanings of flowers, those meant she had a secret admirer. She doubted they were from Oliver, since he wouldn't have had time to arrange the delivery. And he would have sent a card with them.

She worked for a while on the story, wondering what Clark and Lex were meeting about, but she didn't worry too much. Hell, if Lex wanted to hold secret pow-wows with his brother it was not her issue.

Clark had still not shown when she noticed it was almost one. She grabbed her jacket and her purse and left the office.

Oliver was waiting at the table for her when she walked in, only a couple of minutes late. He grinned at her, standing up as the waiter showed her to the table.

"You look beautiful Lois," he said.

She had dressed to kill that morning in a red silk blouse and black fitted skirt combo that not only made her feel like a million bucks but from the glances she'd been getting since she'd walked into the office, she looked it too.

"I took the liberty of ordering," Oliver said. "Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," she answered. "I love Italian."

"Great!" he smiled. "So, I hear you and Clark were at the exhibition last night."

"Clark asked me to go with him as a favour. He apparently hates those things."

"Yeah," Oliver nodded. "He usually leaves those things to Lex."

Lois sipped her water and smiled. "Let's not talk about Clark. Tell me what you've been up to the last couple of days."

The conversation flowed over lunch. Oliver was a great conversationalist. Lois had to give him that. But for some reason there was no spark. The few times she'd had lunch with Clark, they had bantered back and forth and Lois couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard.

Damn it, she thought, why am I still thinking about Clark when I'm here with a really great guy?

Just as they were ordering coffee, Oliver looked up toward the front of the restaurant and he had such a look of dismay on his face that Lois had to turn around. Clark was swaggering toward them.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I could ask you the same thing, Lois," he said. "I thought you were meeting with a source?"

Eek, she thought. She'd blatantly lied to his face and now she'd been caught out.

"Uh, well, you see ..."

"Actually," Oliver said, "we were having a nice, quiet lunch together. And you weren't invited."

Ouch! Lois thought. That was kind of cold, considering they were supposed to be friends. She watched as the two men glared daggers at each other.

"Okay! Way too much testosterone in this room for me," she said, getting up.

"Don't leave on my account, Lois," Clark said bitterly. "I mean, it's not as if you blatantly lied to me, is it? Oliver could be a source. He certainly knows enough about the consortium."

Lois sent Oliver an apologetic look. "I'll call you," she said, grabbing her bag. I'm sorry, she mouthed.

Clark pursued her as she left the restaurant and she turned on him.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she asked.

"You set up a date, Lois. With Oliver."

"So what if I did? You don't own me, Clark. You are just my partner. As in, we work together. But if I want to go out on a lunch date with a guy, I will go out on a lunch date. And you have no say in it!"

"Considering you were out with me last night, I beg to differ."

"You said that was business."

"I said that to make you feel more comfortable," he told her.

Lois began walking back toward the office.

"Go to hell, Clark. I will see who I want, when I want, and you can't stop me. And by the by, I don't need your advice on my love life. I am perfectly capable of finding my own dates."

"Right. You probably would never have asked Oliver out if I hadn't goaded you into it."

"Oh get over yourself, Luthor. You might think you're God's gift but ..."

The rest of her rant was cut off as his mouth closed over hers. She tried to push him away but he was too strong and if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want to resist him. Kissing him was like the Fourth of July and New Years in Times Square combined. And then some!

She found herself pulled into an alleyway and pushed against the brick wall as Clark continued the sensual assault of her mouth. Everything else just seemed to disappear around her as she became lost in the taste and smell and feel of him. His hard body pressed against hers and she lost all sense of time.

Somehow her arms ended up around his neck, while his hands clung to her waist, holding her close so she could feel the evidence of his arousal against her hip. Her body felt like it was on fire. She clung to him, dizzy with the force of her desire for him and it was all she could do to stop herself from ripping his clothes off then and there and begging him to make mad, passionate love to her.

"Ahem!"

Clark started and broke away from her. Lois stared in disbelief at Lex, who just sent them a stern look and nodded his head toward the Daily Planet building. Meekly, Lois followed Lex into the building and waited for the hammer to fall.

Lex shook his head at them as he paced his office.

"Do you two realise you just made a public spectacle of yourselves? And frankly, Clark, I expected better from you."

"Lex ..."

"Quiet, Clark, I'm talking. You know, you're both fortunate that I have a few connections and I will be able to get rid of that security footage."

"What footage?" Lois asked weakly with an impending sense of doom.

"Did you forget about the street camera?" Lex asked, glowering at her.

Lois' heart plummeted. Oops!

"My god, Clark, you two were practically fucking in the street! I asked you to work with her, not feel her up in goddamn public!"

"Lex ..." Clark tried again.

"No, Clark! I told you not to do this, but you ignored me."

Lois closed her eyes briefly, unable to believe what she was about to do.

"Um, Lex, it's not entirely Clark's fault. I ... I could have stopped it if I really wanted to."

"Nice try, Lois, but I think I know my brother better than you. And when he wants something, he will take it. Despite any objections to the contrary." Lex sighed. "Lois, go freshen up while I talk to my brother alone."

"Uh, sure, Lex," she said, wondering what else Lex could have to say to Clark. She glanced briefly at Clark on her way out the door. He looked just as miserable as she felt.


	18. Love

Chapter Eighteen

"Clark, what the hell were you thinking?"

"Lex ..."

"I told you not to get involved with her."

Clark dropped his head in misery, then started as Lex put a hand on his shoulder and shook him.

"What's going on with you, little brother?"

"Lex, I ... I'm falling for her. I can't help it. I can't stay away from her."

"Jesus Clark, you pick a fine time to join the rest of us mere mortals. Have you told her any of this?"

Clark shook his head. He had a feeling Lois was doing her best to fight the attraction. Hence the date with Oliver. And he owed his friend a huge apology. Barging in on them in the restaurant had certainly won him no favours. But he'd overheard the phone call and he'd seen red.

"Clark, I hate to say this, but this is going to present a whole new set of problems. You know that, don't you? I mean, you and Lois have to work together. And if this, whatever it is between you, doesn't work, it's going to make it more difficult for the working relationship. And how do you propose to tell her the truth about you? Because you can't not tell her, can you?"

"I don't know, Lex," Clark sighed.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Clark exploded.

"I don't know, Lex! God! What's with the Spanish Inquisition?"

Lex threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay. Don't get defensive!"

"What do you want from me?" he asked his brother. "I've never felt this way about anyone before."

"Not even Lana?"

"Honestly?" Clark sighed. "Not even her."

Lex sat behind his desk and seemed to be studying Clark.

"I'd ask you if you were telling me the truth but the answer's as clear as day on your face. I've never seen you this miserable over a woman before. You've really got it bad, haven't you?"

"I don't know what it is about her, Lex. She ... she resists me at every turn. She challenges me. And it's not a 'thrill of the chase' thing. I've had other women like that. And believe me, the bloom comes off the rose very quickly. But Lois ... I can't stop thinking about her. I know I've acted like an arrogant shit with her. And because of that, I'm pretty sure she'll want nothing to do with me."

"Don't be so sure, Clark," Lex said. "I've seen the way she looks at you. Like a combination of attraction and fear."

"She's afraid of me?" Clark asked, raising his eyebrow at his brother.

"No, Clark. She's afraid of her feelings for you. I think this is something new to her as well." Lex leaned forward across the desk. "Look, god knows I'm no expert at romancing women. The few times I've actually got that far with a woman have turned out to be complete disasters. But I'll help you."

Clark stared at his brother.

"Wait! What about all that talk about not getting involved with her, and ..."

"Well, that was before I knew you'd fallen for her. It's just so unlike you Clark. Which is how I know it's the real thing. And I think the best thing for you both is to start with something simple."

Clark frowned at him. "Like what?"

"What about the fair this weekend? I promised Lena we'd go, but I have to work again. And I know I've broken my promises to her too often, but ..."

"Are you suggesting I use your daughter to ..."

"Well, Lena's been telling me for days you two are 'so right for each other'."

"Who'd have thought Lena would be right."

Lex smirked. "Lena's a lot more observant than I give her credit for. Anyway, what I'm saying is, the two of you take Lena to the fair. That way, you can spend time together without the pressure of trying to impress her."

Clark thought about it for a moment. "You know, that actually sounds like a good plan."

Suddenly the door flew open and Oliver walked in. Anna followed, looking a little nervous.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said. "He wouldn't take no for an answer and I ..."

"It's all right Anna," Lex said quietly. "Shut the door on your way out." He waited until Anna had left, then looked at Oliver. "Ollie ..."

"Sorry, Lex, but I wanted a word with Clark, and I wasn't prepared to wait until you'd finished."

Clark looked at his best friend, and before Oliver had a chance to speak he said it first.

"I know what you're going to say, Ollie, and you'd be right. I acted like a complete asshole and I deserve whatever vitriol you want to rain down on me. So I'm sorry. But it wasn't about you, it was Lois. I was jealous."

Oliver stared at him, open-mouthed. Then his face lit up in a huge grin. It almost looked like he was going to do some sort of victory dance.

"I knew it. I knew it! You're in love with her!"

"Well, I ..." Clark felt himself reddening. Another first for him. "Yeah, I am," he said, realising even as he said it that it was the truth. He was in love with her.

Oliver strode up to him and put his hands on his shoulders, shaking him.

"Well, congratulations. Welcome to the human race!"

"You're ... you're not mad?" Clark asked stupidly. Oliver just grinned.

"You and I both know I was only going out with her to get you all riled up. I knew you had feelings for her, you schmuck! You were just so much in denial I figured you needed a push in the right direction."

Clark felt a surge of anger at his friend.

"So you were using her?" he said.

"No, idiot! I mean, how can I be using her if she just as clearly has the same feelings for you?"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Well, let's see, she spent about an hour the other night defending you and at lunch she avoided talking about you altogether. Yeah, I'd say she's got it bad."

Clark suddenly needed to sit down. He groaned.

"I'm an idiot!"

"You'll get no arguments from us," Lex said. "Just, whatever you do, don't do something stupid like drive her away, the way you did Lana."

"That's not what happened and you know it. She demanded to know my secrets."

"And Dad told you not to tell her. Even though you were supposed to be going for your training!"

"Because Dad didn't think she was 'suitable marriage material'," Clark said, using his fingers as air quotes.

"Ever notice the old man was full of shit?" Lex said. "Considering he cheated on mom at every opportunity."

"Yeah. Don't forget, Clark, he used Kryptonite on you and was probably planning to do some experiments on you."

How could he forget that? But the whole point was, Lana had not understood why he'd had to go off to his training. He'd asked her to wait for him, managing to get visits in periodically, but Lana had been tired of the secrets and the way Clark had always acted so cold toward her.

At the time, Clark had justified his actions by telling himself that he was protecting Lana from his father. If Lionel had had an inkling that Lana was more than just a girl to 'scratch an itch' then Lana would have been in trouble. Lionel had constantly drummed it into his sons that emotions had no place in business and sex had one purpose and one purpose only. Control. Love never entered into it.

Then again, Clark had to admit that if he had truly loved Lana, then nothing, not even Lionel's displeasure, would have stopped him from being with her. Clark had been torn between Jor-El's demands to stay for the next few months at the fortress to complete his training, and staying with Lana. Finally, Lana had given him an ultimatum. It was either her or his secrets.

She'd clearly tried everything to keep his interest. Even going out a couple of times with a guy she'd known in high school, in an attempt to make Clark jealous. But in the end, Clark had chosen his training – mostly to get away from Lionel's idea of his 'destiny' and Lana had walked away for good. But not before she'd trashed his apartment and destroyed everything that had ever meant anything to him. Especially the one photograph of Lillian that Lionel hadn't managed to hide away.

Oliver had been right, although Clark would have never admitted it at the time. He had treated Lana badly. For someone he had claimed to have feelings for, he had behaved like a complete tool.

The last thing he wanted to do now was screw things up with Lois.

Clark turned to leave his brother's office.

"Clark."

He looked at Lex.

"What?"

"Don't forget about Bruce tonight."

Of course. Lex had told him after the meeting that Bruce had called and suggested meeting for dinner. And he'd made a point of asking Clark to be there. Or rather, not so much asking as ordering. Clark had no idea why Bruce wanted to meet with him but he'd agreed to go.

As he walked into Lois' office, he could see she was upset. But she quickly hid it, her expression neutral as he entered.

"About before," she said, before he could get a word in. "I'd rather pretend that didn't happen."

Clark nodded, pretending to take her lead for the moment. Baby steps, he thought. Let her think I've backed off.

He sat down opposite her.

"So, Lou says he knows a guy who might have seen Lucas. He's going to do some more sniffing around to see if he can find out where this consortium is meeting. And get this. Lou says there are rumours the Joker has been seen in Metropolis as well."

Lois frowned. "He's a little out of his territory, don't you think?"

Clark nodded. "Batman put him in Arkham Asylum, but he's somehow out again. And he's looking to control the mob. In Gotham at least."

"I wonder if he's trying to get in on the action here, then?" Lois mused. "Ever since Intergang dropped out of sight ..."

"The local mob's been easy pickings."

"Do you think Marionette Ventures might be a front for a new gang operation?" Lois asked.

"Sounds feasible," Clark nodded. "I'm thinking we should try and talk to Batman."

Lois shook her head. "The man, or whatever he is, is notoriously anti-social. He doesn't work well with others."

"You're right," Clark agreed. "So, partner, what's our plan?"

"I think we should try and contact The Blur."

"I don't play well with others," Clark mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Well, I mean, he tends to hide in the shadows."

"That doesn't mean he prefers to be alone. I mean, who knows? He could have a day job somewhere. He could be pretending to be someone else during the day, hiding in plain sight, so to speak. He could ... he could even be you."

Clark choked. He looked at Lois searchingly. She couldn't have found him out, could she?

Lois grinned at him, even as she reached out to slap him on the back. "Just kidding, Clark. Lighten up!" She sobered. "I wonder how I would contact The Blur?"

"Well, I hardly think you could take an ad out in the Planet," Clark told her, once he'd recovered sufficiently.

"I could always go up to the roof of the Daily Planet and throw myself off," she said with a grin, which told Clark she wasn't being serious. "After all, the only time he ever comes around is when I'm in mortal peril."

"I wouldn't think he'd appreciate ..."

"Oh Clark," she sighed. "Where's your sense of humour?"

"I must have left it in my other pants," he chuckled.

"Funny!"

Now, Clark, he told himself. Ask her now while she's still ...

Lois stood up and he frowned at her.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Well, we're not going to find out anything more right now. I have another story I've been working on. I'm going to go, uh, check a few things. On the story."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

"Well, I guess I should go work on my column then," he said. "I mean, if you've got this other story you're writing."

But as soon as she was gone, he raced out of the building to another building a few blocks away. This one was around the same age as the Daily Planet, although considerably smaller. It had a dome on top which Clark had suspected meant it had been an observatory once upon a time. It was now Watchtower.

He grabbed the small modulator, an idea he'd picked up from Oliver when he was playing Green Arrow, and a cellphone which could not be traced. Then he dialled.

"Lois Lane!" Lois barked when she picked up.

"Hello Miss Lane."

"It's you! How did you ..."

"I have extraordinary hearing, Miss Lane. I can hear everything that goes on in the city."

"Oh, well that explains it. So tell me something, what do you do when you're not rescuing reporters from certain death?"

"I observe. I watch over the city."

"From where?" she asked, clearly digging for more information.

"Why do you need to know?"

"I ... well, I don't really. But I don't understand why you keep to the shadows. I mean, don't you think people would trust you more if they could put a face to the name? I mean, you could be a symbol. You know? To inspire people."

"I get that. But that's not why I'm calling."

"I'm guessing you know about this consortium?"

"I have been trying to get the lowdown on these people, yes."

"And?"

"When I find out, you will be the first person I call, Lois. But I need you to listen to me now. If these people are what I suspect them to be, they are dangerous. And I would hate for that pretty head of yours to get caught up in it."

Clark could hear the smile in her voice.

"You think I'm pretty?" she said. "Sounds like you've been, uh, admiring from afar."

Clark chuckled to himself.

"Something like that," he answered. "Remember, Lois."

He hung up, leaving the equipment in Watchtower. Lex had sent him a text, telling him dinner was at seven at Lex's place.

Clark sighed. He hoped Lex had organised someone else to cook or this was going to be a major disaster.

Five minutes before seven, he turned up on Lex's doorstep. Just as he was about to use his key, the door was flung open and his niece grabbed his hand.

"Uncle Clark!" she practically shouted.

"Hey squirt. Where's your dad?"

"In the dining room with Uncle Ollie and Mr Wayne. Hey, Uncle Clark, is it true you and me are taking Lois to the fair on Saturday?"

Clark bit back a snort of laughter.

"I haven't even asked her yet," he told her.

Lena grinned and nodded with an all-knowing look.

"She'll say yes. I know she will. She likes you Uncle Clark."

"Oh, really? And what about you squirt?" he asked, sweeping her up over his shoulder. "Do you like me?"

Lena squealed, laughing as he carried her through the house and into the dining room. Clark's laughter died as soon as he saw Bruce. And Chloe. He should have known, he thought with a groan.

He put his niece down and she ran to her seat beside her father.

"You're just in time Clark," Lex smiled. "Lena, go wash your hands."

"But they're clean Daddy," she protested.

"No they're not," he retorted, leaning over to look at her hands. "I can see dirt under your fingernails."

Clark held out his hand. "Come on kid. I need to go wash up too."

He glanced at Chloe, then took Lena's hand and started to lead her to the bathroom.

"Race you," Lena said. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Clark grinned and followed her as she ran to the bathroom to wash her hands. He quickly followed suit, shaking the water off his hands and pinching her nose.

"Uncle Clark!" she said in exasperation. "Now my nose is wet!"

They went back into dinner, which Lex's housekeeper had, thankfully, cooked. The food was delicious as always, but Clark couldn't enjoy it, uncomfortable with the way Chloe kept glowering at him. She stopped when Bruce nudged her.

Clark was still mystified as to the reason for the dinner. But no one said anything until Lena had gone to her room to watch tv. Clark volunteered to make coffee for everyone, since the housekeeper had left for the evening.

Chloe followed him into the kitchen.

"I never would have thought I'd see you do something so domestic," she remarked. "The Clark Luthor I knew wouldn't be caught dead."

"Well, maybe I've changed," he said quietly.

Chloe gave a snort. "Right. That's not what I hear from the gossip rags."

Clark wanted to deny it. Have it out with her. But she was Lois' cousin and the last thing he wanted to do was alienate any relation of the girl he was in love with.

"I guess I deserve that," he answered, just as quietly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "You guess?"

"Chloe, what I did to you ... I ... it was wrong, and I want you to know that I'm sorry for the way I treated you. We were friends and I was horrible to you."

"You mean, because you slept with me then dumped me? Oh, wait. To be sleeping with me, it would have to actually be in a bed. But no. That's not what you did, is it? You fucked me. You fucked with me. With my head, and with my heart."

"You're right. I did. And I know I can never make up for that. But I ..."

Chloe looked at him steadily for a few moments and he began to feel very uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

"She got to you, didn't she?" she said.

He frowned at her. "What?"

"Lois. Someone's finally broken through that spoiled, rich boy exterior. And it seems almost ironic that it happens to be my cousin."

"Would it make you feel better if I said yes?"

"It might." Chloe stepped forward as if to help him with the coffee tray. "But I'm warning you, Luthor. You do anything to hurt her and I will find a way to hurt you. Capisce?"

Clark frowned again, genuinely perplexed by this sudden turnaround.

"Um, okay?" he asked. "But ..."

"Lois hasn't even admitted it to herself yet, but she's crazy about you. And I think it's mutual. But I meant what I said."

Clark nodded at her. "Message received and understood."

But as he followed her out of the kitchen he had to pause for a moment. She'd said she would 'find a way' to hurt him. Did that mean what he thought it meant?

Bruce took his coffee and stirred it. Clark glanced around. Lex and Oliver were looking at the older man expectantly.

"So, Bruce, you want to tell us what this is about?" Lex asked. "I mean, you're the one who called this meeting."

"Yes, I did," Bruce said, his voice a low growl. "I thought it was about time we got a few things out into the open. Like, for instance, Clark's 'other identity'."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Clark mumbled, glancing at Lex, who was giving Bruce a narrow-eyed stare.

"Don't you?" Bruce said casually. "I find that hard to believe."

"Bruce ..."

Oliver was watching Bruce, an odd expression on his face. Then his eyebrows shot up in complete comprehension.

"My god! You're Batman!"

"Oliver!"

Oliver ignored Bruce's exclamation and looked at Lex and Clark.

"Think about it guys. Where do you think Batman gets all his toys? I know for a fact some of them have been developed in the R and D division at Wayne Enterprises. And I doubt whether Lucius Fox could be Batman. For one thing, he's too old."

"And no one else could afford them," Lex answered. He stared at Bruce. "So it's true?"

"Yes!" Bruce barked. He looked again at Clark. "And you're The Blur."

"How did ..." Clark began, then looked at Chloe, the truth dawning. "How long have you known Chloe?"

"I found out about it not long before you, uh, did what you did."

"Why didn't you say something?"

Chloe shrugged. "Loose lips sink ships Clark. God knows, I've sunk my share of flotillas and I wasn't going to be the iceberg to your Titanic. It wasn't my secret to tell," she said, sighing at the odd look he gave her.

"So now that that's out in the open ..."

"You're here chasing the Joker, aren't you?" Clark asked Bruce.

"I think we're all chasing someone involved with Marionette Ventures," Oliver said.

"I suggest we start sharing our information," Bruce answered. He looked evenly at Clark. "But first, I want to know everything. Are you a meteor mutant?"

"Uh, we don't exactly use that terminology," Lex said.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Bruce growled.

Lex looked taken aback. Clark immediately jumped to his brother's defence.

"Don't attack Lex. He was affected by the meteors too."

"And I'm guessing you weren't," Chloe said. "I mean, you're not like the others. You have more abilities, for one."

"I'm not from around here," Clark told her. "In fact, I wasn't even born anywhere near this solar system. I was sent here as a baby when my planet experienced a major cataclysm."

"When you say ..."

"It blew up."

Chloe stared at him, then blinked rapidly.

"My god! Are you the only one?"

Clark hesitated. "Well, I did find my cousin a few years ago, but she and I are the only ones left."

Bruce began asking more questions but something began niggling in the back of Clark's mind. He focused his super hearing. It sounded like Lois was in trouble.

"Lois!" he groaned.

Everyone looked at him.

"What's going on, Clark?" Lex asked.

"It's Lois. I think she's in trouble."

"Sounds like a job for The Blur?" Chloe asked. "You know, you really should think of a better moniker."

"I'll think about it. Right now, I have to go," he said, preparing to speed off.

Why did Lois never listen to him?


	19. Lucas

Chapter Nineteen

Lois had heeded the Blur's words. For about a minute. Because seriously, she thought, she had a job to do, and if she listened to The Blur and stayed away from dangerous situations, well, she just wouldn't be an investigative reporter. An award-winning one at that.

She'd blatantly lied to Clark. Again! Telling him she had some work to do on another story when she really wanted to start researching more into Marionette Ventures. And perhaps get some idea of where these people might be holing up.

As she'd started to walk off to City Hall, knowing full well that Clark would check her computer, she'd got the call from The Blur. And she dearly wanted to give that guy a piece of her mind. Here he was dashing off into the fray, rescuing people and then telling her not to get into trouble. He was sounding a little like Clark.

And it seemed weird to her that she'd just been talking about that very subject with Clark a few minutes earlier. Okay, so the guy might have super hearing and it did seem plausible that he'd heard his name, so to speak. She wondered if, for all his protestations about his honesty, Clark might be telling a teensy weensy little white lie about the fact that he probably knew The Blur's identity and even had his number.

Lois knew she was talking to herself. She could tell she was thinking out loud by the odd looks she was getting from people. But who cared if it got what she needed?

A few minutes later, she arrived at City Hall records, only to find her least favourite person on duty. Ruth Livingston was one of the city stalwarts. She'd been on the job for longer than Lois had been alive and she didn't much care for the 'new-fangled' technology known as the Internet. She also had little time for reporters who were nosing into records that weren't their concern, even if the searches were perfectly legal. Lois had tried pulling the old Pelican Brief, 'are you familiar with the Freedom of Information Act' game but the old bat wasn't going to budge a single inch.

But it was the quickest way to get a look at property records without trying to hack into City Hall computers, and the best way to not get caught.

"Good afternoon Mrs Livingston," Lois greeted her, aiming for a tone of respect. But the old battleaxe just looked over her bifocals at her.

"Ms Lane. Whatever it is ..."

Lois decided to head her off at the pass.

"All I want is to look at some public records. Just let me at the computer and I won't bother you with anything else."

"What public records?"

"Property." The woman was glowering at her and Lois just knew the direct approach wasn't going to work this time either. She sighed. "Look, you know I could go back to my boss, get a written order, and we both know your boss is going to grant it. So I'd appreciate it if you just stopped trying to put brick walls in my way and let me do my job."

She was thinking about it. Lois had used that tactic once before and Ruth was only too aware that Lois could do it again.

"Fine," she said with a growl. "But property records only. I don't want to see you trying to get into any other records, you hear me, young lady?"

"Yes ma'am," Lois said, following Ruth to the computer.

As Lois sifted through the files she was only too aware of the older woman watching her like a hawk. There were recent purchases of a number of buildings in an area of downtown, and she wondered if these were the same buildings listed on the documentation she'd read the other day, before Oliver had caught her.

Of course, there was no way Ruth would ever let her see that documentation. But it just seemed too much of a coincidence.

The trouble was, none of the names of the property owners listed were familiar. No Lucas Luthor, or Dunleavy. No Winslow Schott. She had no idea what the Joker's real name was, and nothing stood out as unusual. Of course, that was assuming that the guy who had taken on the moniker of Batman's enemy had an unusual name to begin with.

This was useless, she sighed. Company records had failed to show anything that might be just as helpful.

Her cellphone rang and Lois looked up. Ruth was giving her stern looks, as if she was in a public library rather than the clerk's office. Lois quickly touched the keypad.

"Lois Lane," she said in a loud whisper.

"It's Lou."

"You got something for me?"

"You bet I do, sweetcheeks."

"I'm on my way," she said, grabbing her bag and stuffing her cellphone inside. She nodded her thanks to Ruth and ran out.

Twenty minutes later, her cab pulled up outside Lou's bar. Ignoring the rough clientele, she approached the bartender.

"Lois Lane. I'm looking for Lou."

"Lou's busy," he said. "But I'm available," he added with a wolfish grin.

"Charming!" she said. "I wanna talk to Lou. He's expecting me."

The bartender grinned and leaned forward.

"Now what would a gorgeous gal like you want with Lou?"

"Hey sweetcheeks. Over here!"

Lois turned and looked at Lou. He was a stocky man with a dark five-o'clock shadow. She shrugged at the bartender and began walking toward Lou's table.

"How about a drink sugar?"

Lois hesitated. She really shouldn't be drinking on the job. Especially in a bar like this.

"Don't tell me the lady doesn't drink," Lou chuckled.

Lois frowned at him.

"I bet I could drink you under the table, Lou," she told him.

"Really?" He chuckled harder.

"Really," she said.

"Prove it."

"Get me a glass," she answered.

Lou gestured to the bartender, who brought over a glass. Lois took the bottle of bourbon from the table and poured half a glass full. Then she looked steadily at Lou. The man had beady little eyes which seemed sunken in his chubby face. Lou might act friendly, but she wasn't fooled. He was tough.

Without taking her eyes off the man, she tipped the glass and threw it back. The liquid burned her throat going down but she didn't even blink. Or cough. Then she put the glass down.

Lou was nodding. Lois leaned forward.

"I was raised an army brat," she told him. "I've drunk with Russian Generals and Special Forces. And I'm not talking iced tea. I came, I drank. So what have you got for me?"

"You're all right kid. Where's your partner?"

"He had somewhere else to be. Lou!"

"Okay, okay. My guy's heard of some activity down by Blaketown. It's ..."

"Yeah, I know. Low-rent district. Mostly industrial. What does this have to do with them buying up large uptown?"

"Word is, they're shipping something in from a small town south of here. Don't know what it is but they're bringing in people to work day and night. Migrant workers."

Lois rolled her eyes. Migrant workers. Just another euphemism for slavery.

"Are you telling me they're dealing in trafficking?"

"Not just trafficking," Lou said.

"You got an address?"

Lou nodded. He took a grubby paper napkin and quickly wrote something on it. Lois took it and glanced at it. Then she stood up, holding out her hand.

"Thanks Lou. You've been a great help."

Lois hailed a waiting cab and gave the driver the address. The sky was beginning to darken as the taxi drove through the streets. Lois got him to stop a short distance from the warehouse.

"You sure you want to stop here?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she told him. "Just get out of here," she added, throwing some money over the seat.

Her heels clicked on the concrete as she walked up to the chain link fence.

"Damn, should have worn flats," she berated herself.

There were two guards on the gate and she figured not even feminine charm was going to get her through them. And from the look of the two beefy guys, she couldn't knock them out either.

"Guess we're climbing," Lois sighed.

She made sure she was well out of hearing range of the two men and began climbing the eight foot high fence.

"You know you'd come in real handy right now," she told the Blur. It didn't matter if he was listening or not.

Her skirt was going to be a problem. It was a pencil skirt and the small slit at the back gave her just enough leeway for walking. It certainly wasn't going to help her get over a fence. Especially one with barbed wire at the top.

"You'd think this was a concentration camp. Not a warehouse," she complained to no one in particular. The hem of the skirt caught on the wire and Lois pulled at it, wincing at the ominous ripping sound. "Oh yay!" she groaned. "Ah well, easy come, easy go."

She managed to get down the other side without incident, then kicked off her shoes, leaving them behind a stack of crates, along with her bag. Lois ran to the end of the main building, ducking down just as two men came out. One lit a cigarette. Lois scowled. She had smoked as a teenager but had long since given up and now the smell of cigarette smoke was an irritant.

Her nose began to itch and she clapped a hand to it, pinching the nostrils.

"Don't you dare!" she told herself silently.

After a few moments, she felt the urge disappear and sighed in relief. Keeping low, she continued around the side of the building, keeping a careful watch on the two men still smoking outside. There was a door ten feet away. If she could just get to it and get it open without the two men seeing or hearing her, she might have a chance.

Fortunately, the two men finished their smoke break and turned to walk back inside. Lois shrank back in the shadows. They still hadn't detected her. Good.

As soon as they were gone, Lois stood up, stretching her cramped legs and made her way to the other door. Thankfully, it wasn't locked and she opened it quietly. The door creaked a little and she winced, glancing through the gap. The door led to a hallway and she guessed to the administration end of the building.

"Lois, this is your lucky day," she told herself.

Opening the door wider, Lois entered, walking quickly in bare feet along the corridor to what she assumed was the main office. Empty. This was getting better and better.

She saw some shipping manifests on the desk and quickly read them. They'd brought in some containers from ... Smallville? Lois frowned. Was this the small town Lou had been talking about? And what exactly had they been shipping?

She was so absorbed in reading she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. But she did hear the click of the gun. She looked up, her eyes flicking to the side.

"And what would you be doing here this time of night?"

Lois turned and looked at the man, smiling disarmingly, trying to show no fear despite the 9mm semi-automatic he had pointed at her.

"Um, looking for a job?" she ventured.

His mouth quirked in a smile, but his grip tightened on the butt of the gun. Lois winced at the way his finger was on the trigger. He searched her with one hand, taking his time about it. Lois could swear he was feeling her up rather than searching, and if he hadn't had the gun in his hand she would have aimed a kick in a very vulnerable spot.

He finished his search then gestured with the gun.

"Ladies first," he sneered.

Lois swallowed hard, then did as she was told, doing her best to keep her temper as the man shoved her from behind, the muzzle of the gun digging into the muscle between her shoulder blades.

She was pushed out into an area overlooking the main floor of what she now realised was some kind of processing plant where she could see people at work. Some of them were children as young as twelve. They were working with what looked like rocks, putting them into machines.

"Boss," the man called.

A man turned from where he was supervising the workers and grinned. He was a brunet, with piercing dark eyes, slender, well-toned musculature. He wore a black leather coat and black jeans.

He quickly crossed the floor and came up the metal steps to the mezzanine floor.

"Well," he said, approaching them and leering at Lois. "Looks like we have an intruder."

He cupped Lois' jaw with a strong hand, looking her over.

"Now, what would a gorgeous girl like you be doing down this end of town at this time of night."

"Slumming?" Lois said sharply.

The man looked at Lois' guard. "Id?"

"Nothing on her."

"So, I'm guessing you're either a cop or a reporter. And no cop I know would be dumb enough to come here without back up," the dark-eyed man said. "Am I getting warm?"

Lois said nothing, letting the man come to his own conclusions.

"Yeah, I'd say you were a reporter. And there's only one reporter I know of with the cajones to come alone. Lois Lane."

"What do you want, a gold star?" she sneered.

He smirked. "Feisty. Yeah, I heard that about you Lane. Pity you wasted your trip. There's nothing criminal going on down here."

"Nothing criminal?" she spat. "I suppose next thing you'll tell me is those twelve year olds you've got working on the floor are really just young-looking adults."

"They're free to leave anytime they want. I don't force them to be here."

"Except for the fact they probably owe you money. Or their parents do."

"Well, what parent wouldn't want a better life for their kid?" the man returned. "I'm just doing the parents a favour."

"And getting slave labour in return."

"I'm a businessman, Lois. May I call you Lois?" he inquired.

"No, you may not," she answered.

The man looked at the guard still holding Lois.

"Why don't you have security call the police and have Ms Lane here charged with trespassing?" he suggested, his tone brooking no objection. The guard spoke into the radio on his shoulder.

Lois snorted. "So it's not enough to have the mayor, sorry, the ex-mayor, in your back pocket, you've gotta have some cops too? Just who the hell are you?"

"All in good time, Lois," he said smoothly.

"I know about the consortium," she said as the man started to turn away. "I know about the properties you people have been buying up downtown. What's your plan? Take up where Intergang left off?"

She had hoped by telling something of what she knew that it might goad him into revealing his plan. Most bad guys had huge egos and loved to hear themselves talk. She hoped this guy was no different.

He turned again and looked steadily at her, then snickered.

"Come now, Lois, do you think I'm stupid enough to do something so clichéd as to tell you what my plans are? And besides, like I said. I'm a businessman. Buying up large amounts of property is not illegal."

"That depends on what you're planning on doing with it," she told him.

The man looked at the two security guards who had come in.

"On second thoughts, forget the cops. Just shoot the bitch! She's beginning to bore me!"

Lois glowered at him.

"Well I have only one thing to say to you," she said.

"And what's that?" he asked.

She screamed. It was loud and piercing, and enough to make the guard holding her put his hands over his ears. Which was precisely what she wanted to happen. She grabbed the gun in his hand, wrenching it down, knowing the other two wouldn't dare shoot while she was struggling with the guard in case they hit him. Then she kneed him in the groin, hard enough for him to double over in pain.

"What are you doing?" the man shouted. "Get in there and get her!"

The gun Lois was struggling for went off with an ear-splitting crack, the bullet hitting the concrete floor and bouncing off, chipping the concrete in the process. Workers hearing the noises began to cry out in panic, having seen none of the action.

Suddenly the whole place was in chaos. A door burst open below and two guards went flying, hitting the wall with a crack. The workers fled, leaving the rocks behind. Lois turned, staring in disbelief as Clark came in, his face like thunder.

A hand on her arm stopped her from moving and she glared down at the dark-eyed man. He was holding a gun on her.

"Well," he sneered. "Hello little brother."

"Let her go, Lucas," Clark growled.

Lois continued to stare. Wow, she thought. Who'd have thought Clark could be so ... so ... her mind struggled to come up with the words. But damn, he was sexy!

"Or you'll do what, bro?" Lucas snickered.

Clark sent her a look and shrugged. Oh great, she thought. So much for coming to her rescue. She noticed he was glancing around at the rocks on the sorting tables and keeping what could only be a respectful distance. What was that all about, she wondered.

She turned and looked at Clark and Lex's brother. She figured Lucas must take after their father, because she really didn't see the resemblance between Lex and Lucas at all.

"So you're Lucas," she said. "You know, I thought Clark and Lex were exaggerating about you, but I guess not. You really are a thug and a psycho."

"Nice to know they think so highly of me," Lucas smirked.

Lois heard the sound of the guard behind her starting to come to his senses, and the two guards that had been thrown were also starting to come to. She had only one opportunity to get away from this creep.

"Actually," she said, "I think they were too easy on you. And you want to know something else? You seriously under-estimated me."

Lucas was about to say something else and she shoved him backwards, hitting him with a right hook, hearing the crack of bone as she broke his nose. Blood poured out and he yelped in pain.

"You bitch! You broke my nose."

"You'll live," she told him, shoving him again, making him drop the gun. Then she ran down the stairs to where Clark was anxiously waiting.

He grabbed her hand and grinned at her.

"Remind me never to take your advice on how to win friends and influence people," he said.

"Worked, didn't it?"

She went outside with him, then let go of his hand.

"Lois?"

"I left my bag here," she said, going to pick up her bag and shoes where she'd hidden them.

He shook his head as he looked at her.

"Lois."

"What? Oh come on, it's not like I had anything I could actually use in there. I left my recorder at work."

As she quickly checked her bag to make sure everything was all there, she chanced to look up and gaped at the dark shadow silhouetted in the moonlight. It looked like ...

"Oh my god, is that Batman?"

Clark looked up. "Whoa!" he said. "I guess it is. He must have found out the Blur was here."

Lois looked at him. "The Blur was here? Why didn't you say something? I would so love to talk to him right now."

"Why? So you can get an exclusive interview?"

"No, dumbass. So I can thank him. I mean, it had to be him who threw those guys, right?"

"I guess. Yeah, I suppose he did."

"Just how did you find out I was here?" Lois asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oh, I got a tip," he said.

"Don't tell me," she said. "Lou called you and told you where I was going."

"Um, yes?"

"Great. I'll be sure to thank him next time I see him. Maybe with a right hook."

They walked through the gate and paused in the road.

"Uh, Clark? Where's your car?"

Clark stared at her for a moment, looking as if he was wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"Clark!"

Lois turned and looked at Lex.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Clark was having dinner at my place and he heard you were in trouble. So I drove him down here. My car's a lot faster than his clunker." Lex smirked at Clark, who just rolled his eyes.

"I was actually doing just fine," she told him.

"Oh right. Facing down three thugs, armed with guns. Not to mention Lucas."

Lex frowned. "Lucas was here?" he asked.

"Emphasis on the past tense," Lois said. "He's probably headed to emergency." Lex stared at her and she explained. "I broke his nose."

Lex laughed. "Well, I'll say this for you, Lois. You're good at getting into trouble but you seem to have a way of wriggling out of it as well."

"So does this mean you think I no longer need a babysitter, I mean, partner?"

"Oh hell no. That's all the more reason for Clark to stick with you," Lex said as he began the drive back to his house. "After all, I did ask him to keep you out of trouble. So he's just going to have to stick even closer from now on."

Lois groaned outwardly. But inside she was in turmoil. Just why oh why did the thought of Clark 'sticking close' give her a tiny thrill?


	20. Tricks

Chapter Twenty

Clark watched Lois in the rear view mirror as Lex drove back to his place. He'd been worried for a few moments, especially when Lucas had been holding the gun on her. But he had to admit that Lois held her own. Which gave him more confidence in her ability to get herself out of tight spots.

Of course, things might have turned out differently if he hadn't gone in as the Blur in the first place. Lois had been outnumbered until he'd thrown those two guards. He just hoped she hadn't seen him throw the guards. Then again, she would have started asking questions about his abilities.

Lois had fallen silent. Probably coming down from the adrenaline rush. They would need to have a serious discussion about what had happened tonight. And knowing Lex, he would figure there was no time like the present.

But as soon as they were in the door, they were greeted by a little spitfire with red hair. She launched herself at Lois.

"Lois!"

"Lena, what are you doing out of bed?" Lex admonished her. Lena looked apologetically at her father.

"Sorry daddy, but when you said Lois was in trouble ..."

"I'm fine," Lois said, giving the girl a hug.

Clark looked at her dubiously. Despite the excitement just hours before, she was pale and seemed tired. But she was doing her best to not look that way for Lena's sake.

Lena was bouncing up and down excitedly.

"So what happened? Were you chasing bad guys? I bet it was really cool!"

"Lena, honey, Lois is tired and I'm betting she hasn't eaten anything," Clark told his niece. Lois glanced at him and nodded wearily. "I think Lex has some leftovers from dinner. How about I make you a sandwich?"

"Thanks," Lois answered. "That would be great."

Oliver was in the kitchen, talking with Chloe. From the conversation, Clark gleaned that they'd both opted to stay behind and make sure Lena was taken care of.

"How's Lois?" Chloe asked.

"She's fine," Clark told her as he began pulling some of the leftovers from the fridge. "Lena cornered her."

"But really, how is she?"

"Aside from the fact that Lucas nearly killed her?"

Oliver looked at him. "So it is Lucas."

"I hope he's in jail," Chloe growled.

Clark sighed and shook his head as he began buttering some bread. "As much as I would like that, we can't really prove anything illegal was going on down there."

"What about the kids working there?" Lois asked, having found her way into the kitchen.

"Kids?" Chloe asked.

"From what Lou told me, Lucas has been dealing in human trafficking. There were kids as young as twelve working there."

"That doesn't prove he's dealing in human trafficking," Clark reminded her. "We'd need to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Lois sighed and sat down at the counter.

"You're right. Damn it!" She huffed noisily and leaned her chin on her hand.

Clark cut the sandwich and put it on a plate, pushing it over to her. Lois looked at it, then picked it up and bit into it.

"Oh god, that's good," she sighed happily.

"So I hear Lena ambushed you," Oliver said, changing the subject.

Lois nodded, still munching on the sandwich. She chewed quickly and swallowed.

"Lex is putting her to bed."

Oliver was frowning. "You know, Lena doesn't take to people she doesn't know very well."

Clark nodded. "That is true." He turned his head and smiled at Lois. "Which must mean she sees something special in you."

Lois rolled her eyes at him. "Nice try, Luthor. But I'm not falling for that line."

"It's not a line," he told her honestly.

Lois raised her eyebrow, but said nothing.

Bruce chose that moment to come in. Clark glanced at him, curious as to why he'd shown up at all. Before Clark had taken off, Bruce and Lex had demanded to know the location, but without saying why. He was grateful for the way Lex had turned up as it had stopped his cover being blown, although he'd been surprised that Lex had narrowed down the location that easily. Until he realised that Lex would have tracked him using the GPS on his phone.

Lois was also looking at Bruce curiously and threw her cousin a questioning glance. Chloe turned to Bruce.

"Did you get that business all sorted out?" she asked. She turned to the others and quickly explained that Bruce had been called to an emergency business meeting.

"Yes," he said shortly.

"What kind of business do you do at this time of night?" Lois frowned.

"The kind where certain individuals prefer to keep their meetings under wraps." He went on at Lois' look. "It's nothing illegal," he assured her. "It's just that Wayne Enterprises has a few government contracts which involve sensitive material. And it's a necessity sometimes to meet with contractors after hours to ensure complete confidentiality."

Smooth, Clark thought. Bruce was able to give nothing away yet make it sound as if he was confiding in them.

Chloe got up from her seat and hugged her cousin. "I'm glad to know you're okay. Then I won't have to kill Clark after all."

Lois accepted the hug but frowned at the blonde.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I told Clark if he ever did anything to hurt you, then I'd kill him."

"Chloe!" Both Clark and Lois spoke at the same time. Chloe just shrugged.

"Chloe, you had no right to say anything," Lois told her in a low voice. Clark felt a little bad for eavesdropping, but since it concerned him, he figured it would be okay.

"I have every right," Chloe hissed back. "You're my family."

"And I don't need you to protect me," Lois told her. "Clark might be a jerk sometimes, but what I do with him is my choice to make."

"He'll cheat on you," Chloe told her. "Or get what he wants from you then dump you."

"That's my choice to make," Lois returned. "If I ever decide to take that step. And you've got Bruce. Chlo, I love you, but butt out, okay? The only person who gets to bust Clark's chops from now on is me. Got it?"

Lex came in, grabbing the coffee pot and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Lena okay?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, she wanted a story. Or rather she wanted you to tell her a story. I told her you'd do it some other night." He sipped from his cup and looked at Lois. "I think we need to talk about what happened tonight, don't you?"

Lois flushed guiltily.

"Tell us what happened Lois."

Clark listened as Lois explained about firstly the call from the Blur and her research trip to City Hall trying to find some record of the property purchases. Then she told of the call from Lou, the visit to his bar and, finally, what she'd found out in the warehouse.

Clark was worried. The fact that Lucas had had Kryptonite shipped in from Smallville did not bode well. And it meant that Lucas had known of the experiments Lionel had been doing with the meteor rock on Level Three of the Smallville plant. He wondered if Lucas had learned of it the same year Lionel had tried to con him out of his shares. If he had, that meant he'd been planning this for a long time.

He glanced at Lex. They would have to discuss this revelation a little later. When Lois wasn't around.

"Did you happen to see anyone else there?" Bruce asked.

Lois frowned at him, but shook her head. "All I could see was Lucas. Why?"

"No reason."

"You know, I wonder why Batman was there," she mused.

"Maybe he heard something was going down and thought he could help," Chloe said.

Lois looked at her cousin. "Do you know who Batman is?" she asked. "I mean, you live in Gotham."

"Sorry, Lois. I don't. I don't even think Bruce knows," she said, looking questioningly up at Bruce.

Lois was going to be so mad when she found out the truth. But at least Clark wasn't going to be the only target for her anger.

"It doesn't matter what Batman was doing in the city," Lex began. "Lois ..."

But Lois clearly wasn't ready to let that topic slide.

"What about the rumours that the Joker has been seen in Metropolis?" Lois asked.

"Well, since I don't know who the Joker is," Bruce told her, "I can hardly confirm any such rumours."

"But you must have some contacts," Lois argued. "Chloe? What about you?"

"Well, I suppose I could try to get in contact with Commissioner Gordon," Chloe said reasonably, giving Bruce a look. He glowered back at her.

"Lois!" Lex said. She turned and looked at him. "Thank you."

"Something the matter? Boss?"

He shook his head at her. "See, there's that word. Boss. And it doesn't make one damned bit of difference to you, does it?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Lois, I asked Clark to work with you for a reason. Can you remind me what that was?"

"Uh, so I wouldn't, um, get myself into trouble?" she said.

Clark looked at his brother. Lex might have been amused in the car, but he was clearly not so now.

"Uh, Lex," he began. "Don't you think ..."

"Don't you turn on me, Clark. Lois knew she wasn't supposed to go out on these jobs alone but the first opportunity, what does she do?"

"She goes out alone," Clark sighed.

"And nearly gets herself killed!"

"But you said ..."

"I know what I said, Lois. I am also not willing to pay out funeral costs if you should get yourself killed on a job. You got lucky tonight. And I have a feeling that you may have the Blur and Batman to thank for that."

Lex sighed. "Lois, I understand why you feel the need to take risks, but please, for your own sake, stop! I don't think my blood pressure, nor Perry's, could take it."

"But how am I supposed to chase up leads if ..."

"I'm not saying don't chase up leads. Just call Clark first and have him go with you."

Lois grumbled under her breath. Chloe, Oliver and Bruce were looking at her and shaking their heads.

"Clark, why don't you drive Lois home," Lex suggested.

Clark nodded. "C'mon Lois. Grab your stuff. I'll take you home."

She was silent in the car for a few minutes. Clark could see she was mulling over what Lex had said. He just hoped some of it had sunk in.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She turned her head and looked at him. "For what?"

"If Lex was a little harsh on you."

Lois shrugged. "He's my boss. I guess he has a point. Insurance premiums must be costing him a bundle."

"Lois, you don't have to be so flippant about this."

"Look, Clark, I get it. I shouldn't have lied to you, but when I'm working on a story I'm so focused on it that I ..."

"You forget everything else. Even your partner?"

"Well, you wouldn't be my partner if Lex hadn't ordered you to do it."

"And Lex wouldn't have ordered it if you hadn't been taking so many risks to start with. Don't you see, we're just going to go around and around in circles."

Lois turned in her seat and Clark took his eyes off the road for a second to glance at her.

"That's the thing, Clark. Lex says he understands, but he couldn't possibly understand what it's like for me. I mean, let's be realistic here. I'm in a man's world. How many female investigative reporters do you think there are? Not many, I can tell you. I'm forever competing with guys who take far more risks than I do."

"You really think it's about you being a woman?" Clark asked.

Clark was sure Lex would say the same thing to him. Investigative reporters did have to take risks. But the point was, not many of them took as many risks as Lois did.

"Oh come on, Clark. We both know that's the only reason why Lex asked you to buddy up with me."

"That is not the reason. Lois, you were nearly killed less than a week ago and you were nearly killed tonight."

"Ooh, that reminds me. Take a detour, Clark."

"Why?"

"I want to see those shipping manifests again. I want to know what Lucas was bringing in from Smallville."

Clark sighed heavily. "We know what Lucas was bringing in from Smallville, Lois. Meteor rock."

Lois stared at him. "What? How could you keep this from me?"

Clark pulled over to the side of the road.

"We didn't know until tonight. Look, Lionel was using meteor rock in experiments. On people."

"So the meteors were to blame for a lot of the weird stuff that went on in Smallville?"

"As far as we know, yes. But what we don't know is what Lucas plans to do with it."

"All the more reason to go back to that warehouse and see what we can dig up," she said.

"Don't you think you've caused enough trouble tonight?"

"I think you have me mistaken for your psycho brother," she told him, sniffing angrily. "You know what, fine. I'll just get a cab and go back there myself. I'm sure Lucas will still be getting patched up."

She started to take off her seatbelt and open the door. But Clark acted quickly and locked the door from his side. Lois turned and glared at him.

"What are you doing? Unlock this door right now!"

"No, Lois. Not until you hear me out. Look, we can go back another time. Together."

"By that time they'll have got rid of any evidence," she told him. She pulled on the door handle. "Damn it, Luthor ..." she growled.

Before Clark could move, she threw herself across him, reaching for the door lock on his side. Her hand on his thigh was perilously close to his groin and his jeans were already starting to tighten in awareness.

Clark grabbed her hands before she could get to the lock and pulled her down, praising his foresight in getting a car with plenty of leg room. Lois stared at him for a moment, then covered his lips with her own. Clark felt her tongue thrusting between them, coaxing his lips apart, demanding entry. He let go of her hands to place one hand behind her neck and the other at the small of her back to support her.

He moaned softly as Lois continued to kiss him, thrusting her leg in between his. He could feel her knee rubbing against his groin and it took all his self-control not to use his heat vision. He let her deepen the kiss, their tongues tangling, the heat between them growing until it felt like they were in a furnace. Lois was pulling on his shirt, trying to pull it open and he heard a button fly off and land somewhere underneath the dash.

It felt as if her hands were everywhere, and then suddenly it all stopped. Lois was backing away, her hand scrabbling for the door. Then she had it open and was out of the car.

He'd just been snookered!

"God damn her," he growled, doing his best to rearrange his clothes into some semblance of order, then started the car again. He drove along, searching for her in the darkness, knowing she was going to go back to that warehouse come hell or high water.

He found her on one of the side streets. Lois saw him and took off running. He got out of the car and pursued her.

"God damn it, Lane!" he growled as he caught up with her. "You know what Lex said."

"And I also know there's something more going on down at that warehouse. If you're too much of a wuss to go down there ..."

"I'm not a wuss!" he answered. "Fine! You win! Get in the car. We'll go check it out."

"I don't believe you," she said. "How do I know you're not going to just take me home and ... I don't know, tie me to my bed or something?"

"As much as I would love to explore this obvious kink you have, Lois, I know damn well even if I did take you home you'd only stop long enough to change your clothes and you'd be off out the door again. No matter what Lex said. At least, this way, if I go with you, I can make sure you stay out of trouble."

Lois looked at him warily, but got in the car.


	21. Warehouse

Chapter Twenty-One

Lois sat quietly in the passenger seat as he drove. She could tell from the way his lips were clamped tightly together that he was mad at her. Okay, so it had been a dirty trick, but it wasn't anything he hadn't done to hundreds of other women. And he'd used underhanded tactics with her as well. She was pretty sure of it.

So why do you feel so guilty? she asked herself silently.

She sighed. She'd used Clark's obvious attraction for her to play him at his own game and it bugged her. She wasn't used to using the same kind of tactics. Not with someone like him. Sure, she'd used subterfuge before with her father. But that had been because she'd thought he was being unfair. And if she was honest with herself, Clark and Lex were just trying to protect her.

"I'm sorry," she said finally.

"For what?" he asked her shortly.

"For playing that trick on you."

Clark shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I doubt it'll be the last time you'll do something like that."

Lois winced. He might have a point, but it still stung. And it made her lash out in her own defence.

"Well, you know, you're not exactly mister perfect either. It's not like you haven't done the same thing to someone else. Or me."

"And what have I done to you that's been underhanded?"

"Shall I make a list?"

"Please don't," he snapped.

"Okay, I get that you're mad, but you don't have to jump down my throat about it."

"I'm not mad," he said.

"Oh yeah, right. You're practically leaping in sheer joy. I can so tell by the white of your knuckles. My mistake!"

Clark pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. Lois looked around.

"This isn't the warehouse," she said.

"Well, clearly you want to get something off your chest," he said. "So let's hear it, Lois. Tell me what an unconscionable bastard I am."

"What do you want from me, Clark? You know, I'm getting kind of tired of the way you keep yo-yoing around me."

"Yo-yoing?"

"One minute you're acting like a jerk and the next you're all concerned. I never know where I stand with you."

"Well maybe if you actually started using the brain that I know you have, then I wouldn't have to be so concerned!"

"I don't need a babysitter!" she hissed.

"No, you need a goddamn keeper!"

"Who the hell assigned you to be my guard dog?" she snapped back at him.

"I suppose you would prefer the Blur?" he retorted.

"Well, I would certainly prefer his company to yours!" she spat.

"You want to know what I think?"

"Not really. But I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway."

"I think you started to have feelings for me and it scares the hell out of you."

"Oh well, listen to mister expert here. How many women have you gone to bed with? I mean, it must be in the thousands, since you're such an expert on them."

"What the hell would you care, anyway? And who are you to accuse me of yo-yoing, as you put it, since one minute you can't stand me and the next you're all over me like a bitch in heat!"

"Am I supposed to be the dog in this scenario? If one of us is the dog, it's you. You're the one who goes around humping every available female!"

"Well, trust me, I won't be making that mistake with you," he told her. "As for that bet, well, you can consider it null and void. I wouldn't want to sleep with a bitch like you!"

Lois' eyes widened and she moved before she realised, slapping him hard across the cheek. He turned his head with the force of the blow, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. Lois gasped, her hand shaking as she covered her mouth.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't ... I ..."

She could see that Clark was fighting to keep his temper in check. Tears pricked her eyes. She hadn't meant to hit him. She really hadn't.

Clark took a deep breath and let go of the steering wheel, his hands in his lap.

"I shouldn't have said that," he said quietly. "I ... I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"Me either," she answered, just as quietly.

He stared into space for a few moments.

"My dad used to hit my mom," he said finally. "I was five when I saw it happen. My mom ... she was beautiful and strong. I mean, she had a heart condition, but she was strong inside, you know?"

Lois nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"We were really close. Dad used to yell at her for turning me into a momma's boy, but I loved it when she'd read to me. She used to hold me in her lap and read for hours. Lex too. He'd lie at the foot of the bed and just watch her. Sometimes we'd just sit quietly out on the patio, even well after sunset. I used to love the way the light danced on her hair. Especially at sunset. She had red hair. So did Lex."

Lois guessed that was where Lena got it from.

"One day my dad left me with the nanny. She was tutoring me. I was pretty smart, and I was way above other kids my age at five. Lex was at boarding school, and I missed him terribly. That's why I latched on to my mom, I think. She'd let me babble on for hours and never tell me to shut up. My father was always of the opinion that children should be seen and not heard.

"Anyway, I got bored studying and I managed to get away from the nanny. I went looking for Mom and I heard yelling coming from my parents' room. Well, Dad was yelling and Mom was screaming at him. Something like, 'get off me!' I ran in and he was beating her. Her face was puffy and her clothes were torn. I don't know how I did it, but I pulled him away from her and I think I yelled at him. Don't hurt my mommy. He just glared at me and looked as if he was going to hit me too, but she gathered me into her arms and screamed at him.

"Dad pulled me aside the next day and told me that if I ever told anyone what I saw, especially Lex, he'd not only hurt me, but he'd hurt my mom too.

"It wasn't long after that – a couple of months, I guess, that mom told us she was going to have a baby."

Lois stared at him in horror. Just from the little Clark had seen, it had been fairly obvious what Lionel had done. Lillian had been raped as well as beaten. And then Clark had been threatened with violence if he ever said anything.

"When I turned sixteen, my father called me into his office, gave me his credit card and an address and told me to have fun. That he'd arranged things so I wouldn't get caught. That was the first time I ever slept with a woman. The next day he took me aside and told me that I was free to do anything I liked there, as long as I didn't get caught."

"I thought you ..." Lois frowned. She thought he'd already slept with Chloe by that time. No, wait, that didn't sound right. He must have been seventeen, since Chloe had been a senior in high school.

Clark went on. "Lionel used to tell me that women were there just to scratch an itch. He should know, since he had a new one practically every week. The only time he ever seriously dated a woman was when he needed something from her. You know, he only married my mom for two reasons. One was because she came from money, and two because he wanted an heir."

Everything Lois had learned about Clark in the two weeks she'd known him suddenly started to make sense to her. Clark had learned some bad lessons at his father's knee. It was little wonder he had bad attitudes where sex with women was concerned. Even if he didn't condone violence toward them.

Boy, my psych professor would have had a field day with this, she thought.

There was one other reason, she thought, why Clark did what he did with women. To keep them at a distance. Because he was afraid of turning into his father.

"Does Lex know? About what Lionel did?"

Clark shook his head. "I couldn't tell him. I mean, yes, he hated our father, but if he ever knew what I saw ..."

"You think he would be angry at you? Clark, you were five years old. If my father had done that to my mother, then threatened me, I would have done the same thing."

Clark looked at her, his expression filled with sorrow.

"I wish I could have stopped it. Stopped him."

Lois reached out a hand. "You couldn't have known."

"Lex is right, though," Clark sighed. "I've been a bastard to women all this time. I've treated them like shit."

"But you know that now. You know where it comes from and you can change it. The thing is, when you're not acting ... when you stop hiding behind the arrogance, not to mention the temper, you're actually a nice guy. I've seen the way you are with Lena. If you were as bad as Lionel, then Lena would be afraid of you. You're not your father, Clark."

"Maybe not completely," he argued, "but I've done things. Really stupid things. All because I was a spoiled rich brat and thought I could get away with it. And Lionel used to get so angry with me. Not because I was doing those things. But because I was getting caught."

It was so different from what Lois had experienced with her father.

"When I think about it, I was really lucky with my dad. I mean, yeah, he wasn't always there for me, but when I did something bad, he let me know about it."

"What was it like? Growing up with him?"

"Well, when my mom was alive, it was great. I mean, he had his duties, and sometimes that meant he had to go on missions, but we always understood. When mom died, he kind of lost it, I guess. I was only six, but he told me that it was up to me to 'execute the chain of command'. He would give me an order and I would have to make sure Lucy followed those orders."

"Sounds harsh."

Lois shrugged. "I guess I did rebel a lot when I was a teenager, but looking back now, I think he was just making the best out of a tough situation. He really loved my mom."

"When I was little, after my mom died, I used to dream that my birth parents came looking for me and they'd take me away from Lionel. But that meant leaving Lex to Dad."

"Did you ever find them? Your real parents?"

"I found out who they were. They died, Lois. Before Lionel adopted me."

"I'm sorry," she said.

Clark leaned forward and started to turn the key in the ignition.

"It's really late," he said. "We should get to the warehouse."

And just like that, the barriers were back up again. Lois sighed as Clark pulled out and began driving again.

Twenty minutes later they were back at the warehouse. The guards were still on the gate but there were no lights on in the building. That was a good start, Lois thought. Clark followed her to the fence and boosted her up to the top using a hand on her backside. Lois was half expecting a comment about her ass, but he said nothing. In fact, he'd been quiet since he'd made those revelations.

Clark had climbed over the fence and was down before she could get down herself and he held out his arms for her to jump. She bit her lip, but decided she needed to trust him, and jumped down. He caught her, letting her down gently. Together, they made their way to the back entry.

Lois had a thought and she caught his arm.

"What if there's an alarm?" she asked.

"You're just thinking about that now?" he returned.

"Well, I ..."

He shook his head. "Never mind. Wait here. I'll check."

"Clark ..."

He gestured with his hand. "Just wait there. I'll be right back."

Lois chewed on her lower lip nervously. She hadn't really thought too much beyond getting another look inside the office. A security alarm had never entered her thoughts. She was slipping.

Clark was back within minutes. He took her hand and helped her up. Together, they tried the door.

"It's locked," Lois said. "Hang on."

"Don't tell me," Clark smiled. "The general used to ground you so you'd pick the lock?"

"How'd you guess?" she grinned back, glad that they seemed to be on better footing now.

"Turn around," Clark told her. He found the hairpin in her hair and knelt down to begin working on the lock. Lois watched him.

"Do you need some light?" she asked.

"No, the moonlight's bright enough," he said.

"So, you've done this before," she said as he opened the door.

"Ask me about my misspent youth one day," he told her, getting up.

Chuckling, Lois moved past him into the dark hallway and led the way to the office. That door was locked as well and Clark quickly picked the lock.

There was a small lamp on the desk. Lois made sure the light was turned toward the doorway as she switched it on, just in case one of the guards came walking past.

"I thought you said this was a sweatshop?" Clark asked softly.

"I guess after what happened tonight they had to let the workers go home."

Lois began searching through the papers on the desk, but she was unable to find the shipping manifests.

"They're gone," she said.

"Did you really expect them to be sitting right there on the desk?" Clark asked, crossing to a filing cabinet.

"I'd still like to know why they were shipping meteor rock," she said, going through the papers. She picked up a document with a header for Marionette Ventures and read it. It was a memo.

_The project must proceed as planned. The only issue will be the Luthors. If they continue to put blocks in our way then they must be taken care of. _

"Clark, look at this," she said.

"What is it?" he asked, coming over.

"It's a memo. Signed yesterday." She peered at the signature. "M. Edge. Who's M. Edge?"

Clark frowned. "I vaguely remember somebody when I was a kid. I think my father knew him." He dug in his pocket and brought out his phone. "Here. It has a scanning application. Scan the memo. I think Lex needs to know about this."

Lois took the phone, then glanced at him. "What's that you've got there?" she asked.

"I think I know why Lucas is bringing meteor rock into the city. It's something the old man tried to do, only Lucas is taking it a step further."

Lois finished scanning the memo and handed him his phone. Clark quickly scanned the pages in his hand. Just as he finished, there was the sound of voices. Lois stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I could swear all the lights were off," one voice was saying.

"Yeah, well after Lane broke in earlier tonight, the boss said take no chances. Hurry up."

Lois looked around frantically, but there was nowhere to hide. And if she switched off the lamp now, they'd know someone was here.

"Under the desk," Clark whispered.

She stared at him. "What? But where are you ... we can't both ..."

"Lois!" She let him push her under the desk, out of sight of the door. Had she locked it again when they'd come in? She waited, holding her breath as footsteps approached the door. The handle was tried.

"Harry, it's locked."

"So I guess the boss just must have forgotten to switch off the light," Harry said.

"I don't know," his friend was saying. "I mean the security alarm looks fried."

"It could just be a short," Harry answered. "Come on, I'm not paid enough for this shit."

Lois let out her breath quietly, wondering what they'd meant by the security system being fried.

Clark knelt down to help her up.

"Where did you hide?" she asked.

"Oh, over there," he said, pointing to a tall planter.

Lois frowned at him, but said nothing. She let him lead her out of the office and back down the hallway. As they got to the main door, the two guards were standing with their backs turned, smoking.

"How are we going to get past the guards?" she whispered.

Clark shrugged. "We'll just have to wait until they leave," he said.

"Or get ourselves caught," she muttered.

For a moment, she felt what seemed to be a cool breeze blow past her cheek and she watched incredulously as the two men turned to look at something in the distance.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Cat, maybe?"

"Better check it out." They left.

Clark nudged her. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Within minutes they were back in the car. Lois glanced at the clock on the dash and yawned. It was after two. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was exhausted.

Clark walked her to her door and made sure she was safely inside before he left.

"Listen, Lois, why don't you sleep in tomorrow? I'll clear it with Lex."

"Sure you just don't want the front page headline all to yourself?" she teased.

"Are you kidding? And risk the wrath of Mad Dog Lane?" he smiled.

Lois fell into bed and was asleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow.

Next morning, she got up, showered and dressed. The cat came in while she was putting the finishing touches on her make-up and she picked him up.

"I've been neglecting you lately," she said, burying her face in his fur.

"Mrrrow." He rubbed himself against her and she sighed softly.

"Sorry kitty, but I have to get to work. I'm already late."

She carried the cat into the kitchen and found some food in the cupboard for him, putting it in a dish and on the floor. The cat purred as she put him down and went to the dish, digging in and ignoring her completely.

"Story of my life," she sighed.

She glanced at the clock, noting it was almost eleven, then grabbed her purse and her shoes. Just as she headed for the door, there was a knock and she pulled it open, not surprised to see Clark standing there.

"Hi," she said.

"Lex needs to see us. I told him about the second trip to the warehouse last night."

"Is he mad?"

"A bit of an understatement. Let's go."

Lois locked her door and followed him out to the car. The drive to the office was a silent one, both lost in their own thoughts.

Lois wanted to talk to Clark about the things he'd revealed the night before, but she wasn't sure how to approach it. Clark needed to talk to Lex and tell him what Lionel had done. He clearly wasn't over it, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.

Clark remained quiet as he led the way into the lift, seeming a little agitated as he waited for the car to ascend to Lex's floor.

"Hey," she said. "It's okay. I'll just tell Lex it was my idea."

"It isn't that," he said. "There's just a lot more going on here."

Lois nodded and fell back into silent contemplation. Clark clearly had his own demons, and she had a feeling it had everything to do with Lionel.

She followed Clark into Lex's outer office. Anna looked up and nodded.

"Go right in. But I warn you, he's not in a good mood."

"Thanks Anna, already way ahead of you."

Lois noticed Perry and Tess sitting on one of the couches, looking very strained. Lex was looking out the window, but he turned and looked at them as they entered. Lois could see he was not happy.

"Sit down, both of you," he said quietly.

Clark glanced at Lois and she could tell from his expression that this was not going to be good.

"Firstly," Lex said, sitting down at his desk, "I want to know what the fuck you two were thinking, going back there."

"Lex, it was my idea," Lois said. "I convinced Clark ..."

"Lois, I appreciate you trying to take responsibility for this, but this is just as much my fault," Clark interjected.

"I don't care whose responsibility it is, Clark, Lois. You two took a huge risk going back there. The fact that you found some important information is irrelevant."

"Lex ..."

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm bringing in extra security."

"Why?"

"Because this morning I received a message from Lucas. He made an overt threat against me. And against Lena."

Lois stared at him. Lucas had threatened Lex's little girl? That was going too far. It was little wonder Lex was upset.

"I've hired a bodyguard to watch Lena at the house and at school. Her name is Mercy Graves."

"What makes you think you can trust this woman?" Clark asked.

"Because Mercy saved my life in Europe," Lex answered. "She's loyal to me and she will look after Lena."

Lois had a feeling there was much more to this than a message from Lucas. She looked at Lex curiously.

"Something else has happened, hasn't it Lex?" Lois asked.

"Yes, Lois. I received word from my friend at the lab. They recovered Lionel's body and they managed to get a tissue sample. Lionel didn't die of a heart attack. He was poisoned."


	22. Lionel

Chapter Twenty-Two

Clark stared at his brother. As much as he had hated Lionel, he never would have wanted this for the man.

"Did they say how?" he asked.

Lex shook his head. "Only that someone was smart enough to make it look like a heart attack."

"But surely someone could have seen something," Lois suggested.

Lex looked at Tess.

"What do you think?"

"I can try and dig up surveillance footage, but I doubt it'll show anything."

"See what you can find," Lex told her. He looked back at Clark and Lois. "What else did you find out last night?"

"Well, this threat from Lucas ... I doubt it was directly connected to Lois' earlier visit," Clark told him. He nodded at Lois. "Tell him about the memo."

"What memo?" Lex asked.

Lois smiled briefly at Clark before turning back to Lex. She told him what was in the memo and who had signed it. The name immediately elicited a reaction from Perry, who gasped audibly.

"Perry?"

"We could never prove it, but Morgan Edge was a local crime boss. We believed he was actually behind Intergang." He looked thoughtful. "You know, there was a rumour, back in the day, that Lionel and Edge grew up together. In Suicide Slums."

"How does that help us?" Lex asked.

"There's a guy I knew. He was a top reporter in his day. He would have been at the Planet around the same time as Lionel was building Luthorcorp."

Something was niggling at the back of his mind. Clark was sure he had met Morgan Edge at one point, but he couldn't quite remember when. Now with Perry's revelations he was certain more than ever that Lionel and Edge had known each other.

"Good, Perry. See if you can convince the man to talk to Lois and Clark. What else did you find out?"

"Lucas is definitely bringing in meteor rock," Clark told him. "He plans on starting up one of Lionel's old projects."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Do tell?"

Lex hadn't known about the project, since Helen had only suggested Lionel might experiment on Lena. But it had been the major reason Oliver had come to town. Lionel had been capturing meteor freaks for years, holding them in containment cells, for the purpose of experimenting on them, learning about their abilities.

Clark had learned of Oliver's true purpose when another friend of his had been caught breaking into one of Lionel's facilities. Clark had met Bart Allen when he'd caught Bart picking someone's pocket. He'd returned the man's wallet to him once he'd found Bart, and the man had been grateful, until he'd learned Clark was Lionel's son.

He'd had a long talk with Bart and tried to convince him that stealing was no way to live. But it wasn't until Bart had stolen a valuable artefact from Lionel, then got into trouble with a fence, that the boy had started listening to him. Bart had left Metropolis soon after that and a year or so later had met Oliver in Star City.

When Bart had been caught by Lionel's people, it was only a matter of time before Clark's father would have learned of Bart's own abilities, which hadn't been caused by the meteors, and try to exploit them, or experiment on Bart. Clark had teamed up with Oliver and, along with the rest of Oliver's group, had rescued Bart from Lionel's facility.

Clark had thought with Oliver's team destroying the facilities around the world that the project had been dead and buried. But clearly this wasn't the case.

"It's called 33.1," Clark told his brother. "Lionel started it using some of the meteor freaks who were wreaking havoc in Smallville. There were suggestions that some of them were taken from Belle Reve so Lionel could experiment on them."

Lex frowned. "What purpose could this project possibly have had?"

"Lionel claimed it had military applications. I think he was trying to do a deal with the government."

"So what happened to the project?"

"It was shut down about five years ago," Clark told him.

"Then what reason would Lucas have in starting it up again?" Lex asked, frowning.

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. That's something we'll have to find out. I did read that he's talking to someone in the military."

"Maybe my dad can help," Lois offered.

"That's a good idea, Lois," Lex smiled. "See if you can set up a meeting with him." Then he sighed. "Now I know we talked about this last night, but I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this. Especially now. Lois, no more solo meets with sources. From now on, when you're out on interviews, stick close to Clark. Like glue."

Lois nodded. "I promise, Lex," she said quietly, glancing at Clark.

Her gaze was unreadable, but Clark thought that this time she meant it.

"As I said, I've increased security. No one gets in or out of this building without a full security check. I've placed someone in the lobby who will sign visitors in and I'm having scanners installed."

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Clark asked his brother.

"You know what Lucas is capable of," Lex said. "You tell me, Clark."

The meeting broke up and Clark walked with Lois down to her office. She immediately got on the phone and placed a call to her father's office.

"Hi, this is Lois Lane. I need to talk to my father. No, I won't call back. This is important. Put me through right now. I don't care if he's in a meeting, sergeant." She smiled with satisfaction, looking up at Clark. "He's putting me through. Daddy? Yes, I know, but this is really important. Yes sir." Clark watched as Lois doodled on the blotter in front of her. "Dinner? Sure dad. We'll be there."

She hung up, grinning. "Dad says he'll meet with us at six tonight."

"Great," Clark smiled.

He leaned back in his chair, watching her. She looked a little tired, but it wasn't surprising.

"Did you even get any breakfast?" he asked.

Lois shook her head. "I didn't have time to eat anything."

"I'll get you something," he said. "I could use a bite to eat myself."

"Clark ..." she began. "I think we need to talk. About last night."

Clark had known this was coming. He'd practically poured his heart out to her the night before and he'd known she wouldn't let the matter drop. He wanted to talk to her too, but he could see she needed the energy and there were more important things than the revelations he'd made.

He stood up and leaned over her.

"We will talk," he said softly. "But I'd rather not do this on an empty stomach. I'll be back in a few minutes, I promise." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It wasn't passionate but it said all the things he couldn't at that moment. Lois closed her eyes briefly, a little whimper escaping her lips. Clark wanted to deepen the kiss. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than that, but right now, he thought that this was all they were ready for. "I'll be back," he whispered against her mouth, and she nodded.

Clark went out at super speed, then took off, flying halfway around the world to Paris.

Clark had been flying since the training with his birth father, although he still preferred to keep both feet firmly on terra firma. He'd always had a problem with heights as a child and it was something he had taken time to get over. Of course, he had never admitted that fear to his father. Lionel would have seen that as a weakness.

He landed in an alley, unseen, and made his way to a little cafe, ordering two croissants to go in fluent French. That was one of the benefits of his abilities. He could absorb languages which would allow him to fit in in any society.

The croissants were ready in a few minutes, along with hot coffee, and he returned to Metropolis.

Lois was studying the documents they'd found the night before, but looked up and smiled at him as he came in. His super-hearing picked up the sound of her stomach rumbling and he handed her the croissant and coffee.

"Oh wow," she said as she bit into the croissant. "This just melts in the mouth. Where ever did you find these?"

"This little French cafe I know," he said.

"Thank you, this is amazing!"

He watched Lois eat with gusto. That was one thing he really liked about her. The few times they'd eaten together, Lois had shown that she had a good appetite. Some of the women he'd dated had picked at their food and complained about how many calories were in each dish. He liked women with athletic bodies, not stick insects. It was one thing that bothered him about Lana. She was too thin.

They finished the croissants and Clark moved so he could study Lois' computer. She blocked him.

"You said we were going to talk," she reminded him.

"Lois, I ..."

"Clark, I just ... I wanted to say I'm sorry I hit you. How's your cheek?" she asked, reaching out to touch where she'd slapped him.

Clark had barely felt the slap, but he'd made it look as if it had hurt like hell. He wasn't ready to reveal all his secrets yet. He knew she'd hurt her hand as well, but there had been nothing he could do to minimise the impact.

"It's fine," he said. "I'm sorry I said those things to you. I shouldn't have called you a bitch. You're not."

Lois sighed. "I think we just got a little emotional last night and our tempers got the best of us."

"It's just ... after Lionel, I ..."

"You're not your father," she told him. "What Lionel did to your mom was horrifying and a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone a five year old boy. But you don't have to be afraid that you'll turn out like him. You don't have to push me away, Clark. I'm not going anywhere."

"Why, Lois? Do you even know what I'm capable of?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. "Because I know your heart. It's like I said, when you're with Lena, you're more yourself, I think."

"I guess it's easier with her. Kids can see right through you."

Lois reached out and caressed his cheek.

"Clark, I have to admit, I really didn't like you at first. All those games you kept playing. And your attitude really grated on my nerves sometimes. But after what you told me last night, and when I saw the way you were with Lena, I realised that a lot of that is just a smokescreen. You keep people at a distance because you're afraid."

"Afraid of what?" he asked softly, although he knew the answer.

"You're afraid of letting anyone but your family get close to you because of what your father did. Clark, if you were going to turn out like him, you would have done so by now. You are not Lionel. You chose to walk away. You turned your back on him. When you could have stayed."

She was right. If he had been a complete bastard, like his father, then he never would have walked away. He knew that.

He studied her, taking her hand in his.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Lois, I ... I know I don't deserve this, after all the things I've pulled. I ... I've been acting like a total jerk, especially where you and Oliver are concerned. The truth is, I got jealous when I realised he might be interested in you."

She smiled. "I knew you were jealous."

"Yeah, rub it in," he answered, wincing.

"I'm not going to see Oliver," she told him. "Not like that. And yes, you have been a jerk. You've tried to manipulate me, and you've manipulated him, but none of that matters."

"I have feelings for you," he blurted.

"I know. I have feelings for you too."

Neither one of them, he realised, were ready to admit that their feelings ran deep. He sighed and shrugged.

"Where do we go from here?"

"Well, there's this thing called a date," she said. "And we still have that bet."

He shook his head. "Null and void. It's not that I don't want to win, because you know I do, but if we're going to do this right, then we take it slowly. No jumping into bed with each other until we're both ready to take that step."

Lois grinned. "Wow! That's a huge step for you, Clark Luthor."

He chuckled. "Okay, you got me. See? A leopard can change his spots."

"Well, good. I'd hate to think this heart to heart was wasted. So, a date. Dinner. Tomorrow night, as you planned. Oh, and Clark?"

"Mmm?"

"You will take me to monster truck rally."

"Fine," he said. "But you have to come to a football game. Even trade."

Lois looked as if she wanted to argue, but heaved a sigh.

"Okay. One football game for a monster truck rally."

Clark grinned and leaned forward to kiss her before she could stop him. When he moved away again, her hazel eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"You get one freebie, Luthor," she said. "But let's keep the PDA's down to a minimum, 'K?"

"PDA's?"

"Public displays of affection. Geez, where have you been?"

He rolled his eyes at her and chuckled.

"There's one more thing you need to do, Clark," Lois continued. Clark looked at her, wondering what she was up to. "You need to talk to Lex. He needs to know what Lionel did to your mom."

"I can't. I don't want to hurt him."

"He hated your father as much as you did, Clark. And you need to stop burying it. He needs to know. You'll never forgive yourself otherwise."

Clark frowned at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Forgive myself?"

She nodded. "You've never forgiven yourself for not being able to protect your mother. Even though you know deep down there was nothing you could have done. You need to find peace with it."

"And how is Lex knowing going to help with that?" he asked.

"Because you need each other. And I think you need him to forgive you. That's why you haven't been able to tell him before now. You've been afraid that he'll blame you."

"I don't know if I can," he said hoarsely.

"You can, Clark. I believe in you. And I know you're stronger than this."

Clark realised she was right. He had been afraid. Thinking Lex might turn on him. He pressed his lips together, resolved, then picked up the phone.

"Lex? Can you come down to Lois' office?"

"What's wrong? Is it Lois?"

"No, this is something personal. Something between us."

"Can it wait?"

Clark shook his head, forgetting his brother couldn't see him. "No. It can't. Please?"

He heard the disbelief in Lex's voice as he murmured something unintelligible, even for Clark's superhearing. Clark was not normally so soft-spoken with his brother, and he never had to plead for anything in his life.

"I'll be right down," Lex said.

Lois put a supporting hand on his shoulder as they waited. Two minutes after Clark had hung up, Lex came in. He took one look at Clark's expression and shut the door.

"What's going on?"

"Lex, there's something you need to know. Something I ... something I haven't told you for twenty years."

Lex frowned. His mouth quirked in a half-smile, but there was no humour in it. He seemed genuinely perplexed.

"Clark ..."

Clark sat him down and told him everything. Everything Lionel had done, the threats, the violence, and finally what had really killed their mother. The colour drained from Lex's face as he listened, growing paler still.

"My god, Clark," he whispered. "Why didn't you say something? We could have ... I could have protected you both."

Clark shook his head. "I was afraid of him, Lex. For a long time. And you were only twelve when it happened. There was no way you could have protected her or me."

"You could have told me later," Lex said hoarsely.

"I was afraid you'd blame me, for not protecting her."

Lex stared at him. "Blame you? Clark, how could you possibly think I would blame you? You were just a kid."

"I could have ..."

"No, Clark," Lex said, leaning forward and putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You were right. Neither of us could have protected her. And you were too little to understand what it meant. What he was doing to her. You couldn't have stopped it."

"I'm sorry, Lex," he said. "I'm so sorry."

Lex pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, Clark. As horrible as it sounds, the old bastard finally got what he deserved."

"No. What he deserved was prison. Killing is still wrong, no matter how justified you think it is," Clark told him as the brothers separated.

Lex grinned. "Now that's the Clark I know and love. Feel better?" he asked.

Clark did. It was as if a huge weight had lifted from his heart. He glanced at Lois, who was smiling happily.

"Told ya," she said, punching him in the shoulder.

Clark chuckled and rolled his eyes. He was likely never going to hear the end of it.

"Don't get used to it, Lane," he told her.

"Oh whatever, Luthor."

Clark noticed Lex watching them as they began to bicker back and forth. His brother was shaking his head and grinning at them.

"You two are welcome to each other," he laughed.

The phone rang and Lois picked it up. "Lois Lane." She frowned. "Yeah, she's my cousin. Let her up."

Clark frowned at her. "What does Chloe want?" he asked.

"Dunno," she shrugged.

Lex's cellphone beeped and he looked at it. "Tess," he said. "I'll see you later, Clark."

Lex walked out, bumping into Chloe in the corridor. Clark looked at the blonde as she came in.

"Hey guys, I thought you'd want to know I talked to a source in Gotham and he says the Joker's definitely involved in Marionette Ventures."

"Why though?" Lois asked. "The Joker's not a team player."

Chloe shrugged. "Strength in numbers? Let's face it, the last time he went up against Batman he got his ass soundly kicked."

"What gets me is, why is Lucas involved? And the Toyman?" Clark asked.

It was starting to annoy him. The Toyman, from what Oliver had told him, was well-known for making explosive toys, and he had a fondness for marionettes. Which explained the name. But the Toyman was just a crazy inventor. And Lucas was no businessman. So someone else had to be pulling the strings.

Could it be Morgan Edge?

The phone rang again and Lois picked it up.

"Lex? Oh, okay. Tell her thanks for trying." She hung up and looked at them. "Tess said the drive they used to store the surveillance footage from last year has been wiped clean. And they can't get anything off the server either."

Chloe shook her head. "Then they're not looking in the right place."

"You have an idea?" Clark asked.

"I've had a little practice at this," she said.

Clark remembered Chloe had been a fairly decent hacker at school. She had clearly picked up a few more things in the years since then.

"What do you need?"

"Some sophisticated equipment," she said, rattling off a list.

The labs at Luthorcorp were out, Clark thought. He glanced at Lois. The equipment Chloe was talking about was at Watchtower, but he couldn't take Lois there.

In the end, Lex provided the solution. Lena was being driven from school straight to the Daily Planet where Lex could assure himself that she was safe. But he was stuck in a meeting and knew Lena would be bored, so he asked Lois to look after Lena for the time being. Lois was only too happy to help.

With Lois safe at the Planet, Clark went with Chloe to Watchtower. Tess had the drive sent over and Chloe got to work.

"Are you sure this will work?" Clark asked.

Chloe nodded, watching the screens as her fingers flew over the keyboard.

"When data's written on a hard drive, it's triggered electronically and magnetically onto a hard drive plate."

"In English?"

"The data might have been erased, but a record of it is still in there, it's just a matter of finding it and piecing it together. Sort of like when you put confidential documents in a shredder. The information is still there, you just have to find all the bits of paper." She kept working, her eyes never leaving the screen. "This might take a while," she said.

"How long, exactly?"

"How long's a piece of string?"

"Touche. So, um, Chloe, you and Bruce ..."

"Working here," she said. "Sorry, I just need to concentrate."

Clark grimaced. The double doors opened and Oliver came in, led by Bruce. Clark frowned at them.

"What's up?"

"Lex told us about Lionel. Sorry, Clark."

Which part, Clark wondered. But he knew Lex wouldn't have told them about Lionel and Lillian, so he guessed Oliver was talking about the murder.

"We're just trying to piece together some evidence. See if we can find out what happened."

"From what Lex told me his friend discovered, the poison could have come via any method. Lionel was a heavy scotch drinker."

Clark nodded at Bruce. "Yeah, he was. Could it have been drugged?"

"Well, if I was going to poison someone, that would be the way to do it. Especially if I wanted it to look like a natural death."

Clark studied the older man. There seemed to be no emotion in Bruce's expression. He could have been discussing the mechanics of a motor vehicle, for all the animation in his face.

"So you've considered this?" he asked.

"I consider it my duty to know various methods of homicide. Especially in our line of work."

"So you would condone killing someone?" Clark asked.

"If the situation called for it, yes."

Clark was really beginning to dislike Bruce intensely. Oliver must have sensed that and quickly moved between them.

"Bruce, you'll have to excuse Clark. He comes from an entirely different school of thought."

"Meaning?" Bruce said coolly.

"Meaning I don't believe in killing someone," Clark returned, just as coolly.

"Strange," Bruce said, scratching at his upper lip. "I would have thought, given the fact you were raised by a man like Lionel, that you would have thought the opposite."

"I'm not my father!"

"Apparently not," Bruce answered. "Of course, as the Blur, you clearly believe yourself above such human frailties like judgment based on emotions."

"What would you know about humanity?" Clark retorted. "You flit about Gotham dressed as a bat."

"I was merely commenting," Bruce answered, waving his hand. "And you, a creature not even born on this planet, can make digs at me about my humanity? I choose to channel my emotions to give me power."

He was a creature now? Clark had never felt more insulted.

"So that's why you don't like me?" he said.

"You must admit, Clark, that someone with your abilities ..."

"What?"

"Could conquer the world."

"I don't want to conquer the world," Clark said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you obviously watch way too many alien invasion movies."

He glared at Bruce, who glowered back.

"I find that hard to believe," Bruce retorted. "Considering who you were raised by."

And they were back to that again. Just because Lionel was greedy for power, it didn't mean Clark was the same.

"Considering my own father wanted to experiment on me," Clark shot back. "Just like he was doing to countless others. And just like Lucas apparently plans on doing."

"What?" Oliver seemed startled. "When did you hear this?"

"Lois and I went back there late last night, after we left Lex's place. I found documents – plans for a new facility like 33.1." Oliver gasped.

"Care to elaborate?" Bruce asked.

"33.1 was a project initiated by Lionel studying people with meteor-related abilities," Oliver told him. "Some of them were patients at Belle Reve. From the intel my team gathered, Lionel was studying some of the meteor mutations to see if he could duplicate them."

"You're suggesting he was trying to create some kind of army."

"There's a possibility Lucas could be trying to sell the idea to the US government, for military applications."

"Of course," Bruce said, musing. "Send people with these abilities into combat. If there's plenty more where they came from, that makes them expendable. And that probably explains the Joker's interest in it. He's recruiting."

"Why?"

"A team of people with these unique abilities? No law enforcement would be able to stop them."

"But what does all this have to do with Lionel being murdered?"

"I think I can answer that," Chloe said finally. "I've finally put the jigsaw pieces together."

The three men turned and watched the monitor. Lionel was with a man who had greying blonde hair. As they watched, Lionel handed the man a drink. The man looked at it, frowning. His face turned in the direction of the camera and Clark gasped. Morgan Edge!

He remembered now. It had been years earlier, but he had met Edge when he was sixteen. Edge had owned the cathouse Lionel had sent him to.

"I prefer scotch. What's this?"

"Surely your tastes haven't changed that much, Morgan," Lionel snickered. "It's a suicide. Our old special."

"Nothing ever changes, Lionel. Not even when you dress it up in a designer suit or a penthouse office."

"Pity the same thing couldn't be said about friendship. I suspected you had an inside contact, Morgan. But I have to hand it to you. Using my own son against me. That's low even for you."

"From what Lucas tells me, Lionel, you barely acknowledge him as your flesh and blood."

"Grooming him to take your place, Morgan?"

Edge shrugged. "And why not? It was Milton who put it so aptly. Tis better to rule in hell, than serve in heaven."

"Spare me the abstract religious philosophy, Morgan. Lucas was never going to be a suitable heir to the throne."

"Perhaps you are still waiting for the prodigal son?" Edge chuckled. "Even your firstborn turned his back on you." His mouth formed an 'o'. "Or perhaps you are considering leaving it in the hands of your daughter?"

Lionel looked surprised that the other man knew about Tess. Then he recovered himself and snickered.

"You're wasting your energy on Lucas," he said. "The boy is a hood, and is severely lacking in anything resembling intelligence."

"Oh I think you are not giving the boy enough credit."

There seemed to be a gap in the recording where the data was incomplete. About a minute later, the same scene came up, but now the two men were glowering at each other. It was clear from their expressions that the conversation had taken a nastier turn.

"We had an agreement," Lionel was saying. "You stay out of my business, and I stay out of yours."

"Times change, Lionel."

"I'll bury you and everyone who works for you."

"I'd be careful, Lionel. You have a lot further to fall."

Lionel's face relaxed as he looked coolly at Edge.

"But I'm the one who has the evidence. And remember, the statute of limitations on murder never runs out."

Clark looked at Oliver. "Murder?"

"I wonder if Edge had Lionel murdered because of this evidence."

"Question is," Bruce mused. "Where is that evidence now? And what murder would Lionel be talking about?"


	23. Sam

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lena leaned on the desk, looking at her eagerly. Lois felt a little disconcerted by Lena's stare.

"So, are you and Uncle Clark ..."

"Me and Uncle Clark what, Lena?" she asked.

"Um, well, I know he likes you."

"I like him too."

"You know he goes out with lots of girls. Well, he used to. He hasn't done that since he started working here."

Lois hid an amused smirk. "I think somebody's a bit too nosy for her own good. You know, Lena, with that nose, you could be a reporter someday."

Lena giggled. "It would be really cool." She frowned. "So, where is Uncle Clark?"

That was a good question, Lois thought. She knew he had gone off somewhere with Chloe to see if they could dig up something in the surveillance footage, but she wasn't sure if he'd meant Luthorcorp.

"He's running some errands," Lois told her, not willing to tell the little girl what was really going on.

But Lena was pretty sharp for a seven year old. She snorted.

"Please, that's just a story someone says when they don't want me to know something. I know there's something going on, otherwise Daddy wouldn't have asked Mercy to hang around me. Mercy hates kids."

"Well, no one could possibly hate you, Lena," Lois told her sincerely.

Lena giggled again. "I like you, Lois. You're nice. Mercy's always telling me what to do."

"Well, Mercy wants to keep you safe."

"Only cos Daddy pays her to do it," Lena sniffed.

"Sweetie, your dad just wants to make sure no one can hurt you."

"Why? What's going on?" Lena asked.

It was natural for the child to be curious about why she was suddenly accompanied by a bodyguard. From what Lex had told her about Mercy, the woman was hard to kill, and extremely good at her job, but it hadn't always been a necessity.

Lois bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Lena the truth. The girl did have a right to know. She sighed.

"Okay, Lena, I think you're old enough to understand this. Your dad got a message this morning saying someone was going to come after you just to hurt him."

Lena frowned. "Why?"

Hmm, how did she answer that?

"Well, you know your dad owns a big company."

But that wasn't really the issue, she thought. This wasn't about Luthorcorp. It was about Lucas wanting control of the city. And how did she tell the kid that a man, who was actually her uncle, was trying to destroy her father. And what kind of screwed up man Lucas was?

"Honey, all I can tell you is that there are some bad people who want to hurt your dad, and it has something to do with the story your Uncle Clark and I are working on. I wish I could tell you more than that, but I don't have all the details myself."

Lena came around the desk and hugged her.

"You'll figure it out. Daddy says you're pretty smart."

Lois felt her face warm with a blush. She knew Lex well enough to know that compliments were as rare as, well, rare gems. Especially when it came to her work.

"Can we go get some ice cream?" Lena asked.

Lois looked at the little girl. When Lex had asked her to keep Lena occupied for a couple of hours, she had readily agreed. But she'd also promised Lex they wouldn't go anywhere, and knowing how upset Lex would be if she broke that promise, not to mention Clark, she couldn't just take off. No matter how much she wanted to keep Lena happy.

"Sorry, honey, but I promised your dad we'd stay right here."

"How come?"

"Because those bad people I told you about? They might try to hurt me too."

Lena sighed heavily. "Guess this means no fair on Saturday."

"What fair, honey?" Lois asked.

"Dad has to work. Again! So Uncle Clark was going to take me to the fair. He was going to ask you to come too."

Lois decided she needed to talk to Clark and Lex. Not because she thought the fair was a bad idea. But because Lena was going to be disappointed, yet again. Lois knew how hard it was to be the child of a single parent, who never had time to spend with her. She understood when it came to her father that his duty had always come first. But it was not fair for Lena's life to be disrupted just because someone like Lucas was threatening to hurt her.

Lena should not have to be afraid of shadows. She should not have to grow up living in the shadow of her own existence, just in case someone tried to hurt her, or take advantage of her because of who she was.

That conversation would have to wait. Right now there was a little girl who just needed someone to spend time with her. Someone who wasn't paid to be there.

"Hey," she said to the little redhead. "Wanna help me here?"

"Do what?" Lena asked curiously. Lois showed her the documents she'd printed off. The ones Clark had scanned the night before. She glanced at Lena. The little girl might not understand all of it, but then again she did have a reading level of an adult. An extremely intelligent adult.

"Well, I need to read these and figure out what's going on. But I can't make sense of them. I bet if we worked together we could. What do you say?"

Lena's expression brightened.

"So I can be like, a reporter, like you?"

"Yep."

"Cool. Where do we start?"

Lois handed her a page, and a notepad. "You read what you see there and write some notes, and I'll read this page and write some notes and then we'll compare. Sound good?"

"Awesome!"

Lena's smile was blinding. She was such a happy child, most of the time, and it was pretty clear Lex had done his best. But Lois could tell that Lena missed her father more than she let on. Obviously life had been a little simpler when they had been living overseas. Lex had probably worked less, with far fewer responsibilities.

They were so deep in the work a couple of hours later that they never heard the footsteps in the corridor. The first Lois knew that someone else was in the room was when Lena squealed and giggled. Lois looked up to see Oliver had snuck up on Lena and was now tickling the life out of her.

"Uncle Ollie!" Lena said, half in protest, half in laughter.

"Lois cracking the whip, I see," he said.

"She's going to teach me how to be a reporter," Lena said proudly. "Lois is like the coolest reporter ever!"

"That right?" he asked, with a questioning look at Lois.

Lois grinned at him, admitting nothing. "Where's Clark?" she asked.

"Lex's office. Chloe managed to pick up something from the hard drive." He picked Lena up in his arms. "Come on, squirt. Your dad says I can take you home."

"Can I drive your car?" Lena asked as Oliver started to walk out of the room. Lois followed, laughing.

"You're far too much of a squirt to drive," Oliver told Lena. "You can't even reach the pedals."

Lois couldn't stop laughing as they stopped at the bank of elevators. Oliver pressed both the up and down buttons.

"You're going up, I'm going down," he said.

"Can we get icecream on the way home?" Lena was asking.

"What about your dinner?" Oliver asked.

"I'm hungry!"

"You're also a pain in the neck," Oliver commented, laughing to suggest he wasn't being serious. Lena pressed her nose to his and their foreheads met. The pair were trying to stare each other down. "Careful squirt," Oliver continued. "The wind'll change and you'll stay like that."

Lena sighed in exasperation. "Uncle Ollie. That's silly."

"No, you're silly," he said.

"No, you are," she answered.

"You," he returned.

"You."

Lois was cracking up as the lift door opened to take her upstairs. Despite the difficulties of raising a child when you were a single parent, it was good to know that Lex had friends like Oliver around who could give Lena as much love as she could handle. And Lena was so easy to love.

She couldn't wait until she could have kids of her own with Clark.

Lois froze for a moment. Where the hell had that come from? She wanted to have kids with Clark?

She was shaking her head as she went into Lex's office. Anna smiled at her and nodded. She was just packing up to go home. Lois opened the door to find Clark, Lex, Chloe and Bruce in the middle of what appeared to be an intense discussion.

Clark saw her and came over, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Ixnay on the you know whats," she hissed.

"What? A kiss on the cheek?"

"Lois Lane's rules of dating," she told him. "No PDAs before we've even had the first date."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at her. "Lois Lane's rules, huh?"

She nudged him, seeing everyone else watching them. Lex seemed to notice she was a little flustered and came to her rescue.

"Oliver taking Lena home?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for watching out for her, Lois."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Lex. She's a good kid. Uh, she also mentioned something about a fair on Saturday?"

"Under the circumstances, Lois, I really don't think it would be a good idea for Lena to go. Even if it was with you and Clark."

"Yeah, she figured that. Lex, I don't want to tell you how to raise your own daughter, but you can't wrap her up in cotton."

"Lois has a point, Lex," Clark said.

Lex thought it over for a few seconds, then nodded. "All right. As long as Mercy goes with you."

Lois grinned up at Clark and he smiled back. She caught the affection in his gaze. Lex coughed.

"Lois, Clark was just telling me what they found on the hard drive. It not only appears Morgan Edge knew Lionel extremely well, but he may also have had motive to kill him. Or since Lucas appears to be Morgan's successor, he may have got Lucas to do it."

"What motive?" Lois asked.

Clark looked at her. "Lionel had something on Morgan. To do with a murder."

This did not bode well, Lois thought.

"Maybe Perry's friend will be able to tell us something. Perry set it up for tomorrow."

"Good," Lex said, nodding.

Lois glanced at her watch. "Clark, we need to get going if we're going to meet my dad."

"Oh, yeah. Do you need to go home and change first?" he asked, indicating her clothes. Lois had worn a pant suit today.

"No, this will be okay. Dad isn't into 'frills'." She reached up to his collar. "You might want to think about putting on a tie though."

Clark looked down at his shirt, then back at her with what she could only describe as a wounded expression.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he asked.

"Nothing, if you were planning on going out to a bar and schmoozing with the locals. But this is the general. So dress the part."

Clark rolled his eyes and she punched him in the shoulder. He clutched it, wincing. Lois snorted.

"Ow! What was that for?"

Lois didn't answer. She could hear Lex, Chloe and even Bruce chuckling. Lex went to his desk and pulled out a drawer.

"Here, Clark," he said, holding up a striped tie. "You can borrow this."

"Not even the first date and she's already telling me how to dress," Clark muttered, taking the tie and putting it around his neck.

Lois laughed at him. "Considering you stuck me in Wardrobe Makeover 101 last weekend?"

"What's this?" Chloe asked, grinning at Lois.

"Never mind, cuz," Lois told her.

Lex was scowling at his brother. "Do you even know how to knot a tie?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me," Clark retorted.

Lois smirked. It seemed Clark had followed his own rules on fashion, and got away with it.

Lex waved him over, grabbing the ends of the tie.

"That is the ugliest goddamn knot I've ever seen," he said, undoing the knot and redoing it so it resembled a Windsor Knot. "Just how did you manage to tie your bowtie the other night?"

"I didn't," Clark admitted. He'd used a snap-on.

It was Lex's turn to roll his eyes. "Hopeless, little brother. Just hopeless." He pulled the tie straight and Clark protested.

"Geez, don't strangle me, Lex."

"Whiner," Lex returned. "Now don't touch it. It looks good."

Lois looked at her watch again. They had about twenty minutes to make it to the restaurant where they were meeting Sam Lane.

"Chop, chop, Luthor," she told him. "The general's a stickler for punctuality and if we're not there at 1800 hours on the dot he will make you drop and give him twenty."

"Twenty what?" Clark asked as he followed her out of the office.

"Don't even go there, Luthor. Double time it."

They made it the restaurant just on time. The general was sitting at a table, starched military uniform, stiff posture, nursing a glass of bourbon.

Lois marched in without waiting for Clark. Her father saw her and immediately stood up.

"Lois," he said, then glanced behind her. "And who's this?"

"This is Clark Luthor," Lois said, turning briefly to acknowledge Clark. "His brother Lex owns Luthorcorp. And the Daily Planet."

"I see," Sam said, but it didn't look as if he saw at all.

"Clark works with me at the Planet," Lois said, putting her purse on the table. Clark moved to pull out her chair and she smiled at him before sitting down. He sat beside her.

"It's good to meet you, sir," Clark said. "I've heard a lot about you."

Sam gave a kind of harrumph. "Well, I've heard almost nothing about you. At least from my daughter."

"Daddy," Lois said quickly. "I've only known Clark a couple of weeks."

"Yet clearly there is already something going on between you two, or else you wouldn't have brought him here."

Lois winced. "Daddy, Clark is working on a story with me, that's all." She sighed at her father's look of disbelief. "Okay, so maybe it's more than just working together on a story, but ..."

"It's about time you thought about settling down," he told her. "Your sister seems happy enough, although I still don't like her husband."

"When have you ever liked our boyfriends?" Lois pointed out. "Daddy, we're not here to discuss my love life."

"I figured that. Still, no harm in trying," he said, giving her a toothy smile.

Lois wanted to roll her eyes. Her father could be exasperating at the best of times. Ever since Lucy had got married and had a baby, her father had been asking her when she would find herself a man and settle down.

"Daddy, we found out about a project which could have military applications, and we ..."

"Not on an empty stomach, Lois. Eat first, talk later."

Lois studied her father as he ordered. He wasn't usually this jovial. And while he hadn't exactly been welcoming toward Clark, he hadn't completely dismissed him either. Which had Lois wondering what was going on with her father.

She glanced at Clark, who looked back at her with a perplexed expression, cocking an eyebrow. She decided to follow her father's lead and ordered dinner. The conversation while they waited for their meals was confined to small talk.

Sam looked at Clark.

"I hear Luthorcorp is on the straight and narrow these days."

"Since Lex took charge, yes."

"Your old man was quite the ruthless negotiator. I had a few dealings with him before he passed away. Ever seen a great white?"

"As in a shark? Yeah, the old man took us diving off the Barrier Reef once, when Lex was about seventeen. Winter he went to Princeton. Lionel figured it was a great way to learn how to deal with an enemy." Clark's expression was cool, but Lois could see the tension in his hands. "He had Lex dive in a shark cage, then he got one of the crew to put chum in the water. Sent the sharks into a real feeding frenzy. Just about tore the cage in two. Scared Lex shitless. Not that he would have ever admitted that to the old man." Clark's grin was almost feral. "Never saw Jaws the same way again."

"Your old man reminded me of that shark. If he didn't already have the nickname the Magnificent Bastard, he might just as well have been called Jaws for the way he ripped his enemies apart."

"Magnificent Bastard," Clark laughed, but it sounded forced to Lois' ears. Given what Clark had told her in the past eighteen hours, she wasn't surprised. "I haven't heard that one in a while. He was that."

"At least you and your brother seem to have had the sense knocked into you," Sam commented.

"We're not our father," Clark told him.

"I never said you were," Sam answered. "But I still don't like you dating my daughter."

Clark looked like he wanted to continue the argument. Lois reached out a hand to touch Clark's arm. He started and looked at her and she offered a comforting smile. She knew what her father was doing. And this had gone on long enough.

"Stop it, Daddy. You don't get to dictate who I date. And Clark is nothing like Lionel. So stop testing him."

Her father turned and looked at her, surprised.

"How much do you even know about this man?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "I know enough to know that you don't have the right to interrogate him. Or to judge him for his family."

Her father's lips pursed. The tension was quickly broken by the waitress coming over with their food.

They ate in relative silence. Clark kept shooting her glances and she shrugged. She knew her father well enough to know that there was no point in pursuing a discussion until he was ready for it.

Finally, her father relaxed over his coffee.

"So what's this project you wanted to ask me about?"

"33.1," Clark said.

Sam had been in the middle of taking a sip of coffee and he choked. Coughing and spluttering, he put the cup down.

"I take it you know about it," Lois said.

"Know about it? That was meant to be classified information," he told her. "How the hell did you two get your hands on it?"

"I may have turned my back on the old man, but I still knew about some of those projects," Clark said.

Sam looked steadily at him.

"Fine. About eight years ago, your old man approached the military brass and proposed a long-term study into the effects of meteor rock on the Smallville population. He claimed that these rocks caused mutations, giving certain people super-human abilities. He suggested if he could find a way to duplicate these mutations, he could create an army.

"At first, the brass were impressed and the studies went ahead. But six years ago, word got out to a Congressman, who found out that Luthor was experimenting on people without their consent. The Congressman took it to a committee and they called for a vote. They vetoed it on ethical grounds and the project was stonewalled. Luthor fought it, but he lost, and as far as I know that's the end of the matter."

"Well, what would you say if we told you that Lucas Dunleavy is trying to get the project up and running again? And he's trying to get the backing of the military brass again," Lois told him.

"I would say that he hasn't a hope in hell. Unless ..."

"Unless what, Daddy?"

"There's a group of military brass who believe these so-called vigilantes like the Green Arrow and the Blur should be working for the government."

Sam Lane took a pen and a notebook out of his pocket.

"Talk to this man. But I would suggest, Lois, that you keep your hero leanings on the QT. Slade is an ass and a vigilante-hater of the first degree. I'd hate for him to think you're a sympathiser. Oh, and you might want to pick him up some bourbon and Cuban cigars."

"Wait, Daddy, what makes you think I ..."

"I've seen your articles, Lois. Especially on the Blur."

"That doesn't mean ..." she began, then saw her father's expression.

It was after eight thirty by the time Clark parked the car in front of her townhouse. He got out to walk her to her door.

"You don't have to do that," she said. "It's not like I'm going to visit Fort Ryan in the dead of night."

"Humour me," he said.

"You're going to be a handful, aren't you, Clark Luthor," she said, when they reached her door.

"I think that's my line," he told her, smiling down at her.

Lois rummaged in her bag for her keys and unlocked the door. Clark grasped her arm firmly, although not tight enough to bruise.

"Clark ..." she said.

"Lois."

She had expected him to kiss her, but instead she leaned forward, going up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. His response was unhurried and gentle at first, his tongue lightly licking her lips. And Lois wanted more. She pressed herself closer to him, feeling his arm snaking around her waist as the kisses became more passionate.

Lois was hard up against the door, with nowhere to go, but she didn't care, even as Clark's muscular thigh wedged in-between her thighs. There was no way she could mistake the erection straining against the zipper of his pants.

"God, you drive me crazy," she whispered.

"What are you doing to me, Lois Lane?" he whispered back.

He pulled away and Lois tried not to whimper. But they had both agreed to take this slowly and as much as she wanted him, she wasn't fool enough to lose all common sense. They barely knew each other.

Clark pressed his forehead against hers, looking as if he was trying to catch his breath. He kissed her again, very briefly.

"Goodnight, Miss Lane," he said.

Lois scrabbled for the door handle and opened the door, backing through the gap. She watched him as he backed down the steps and didn't close the door until he had walked back to the car.

She leaned against the door, letting the pounding of her heart slow to normal speed, knowing full well she was grinning like a loon.


	24. Slade

Chapter Twenty-Four

Driving home to his apartment was an exercise in torture. His pants were still uncomfortably tight. Clark shifted in the seat, wanting to find some way to relieve the pressure, without messing his pants.

He'd been tempted, so very tempted, when he'd been kissing her. But he was determined to make this relationship work, and if that meant taking things slowly, then he was going to stick by that. Too many times he had let his own bitterness toward his father be an excuse to close himself off to anyone else. He wasn't going to do that with Lois.

He drove into the underground parking and got out of the car, using his keycard to access the lift to his penthouse apartment. But just as he closed the door of his apartment in the hopes of getting some much-needed privacy, his intercom buzzed.

"Yes?"

It was security from the lobby.

"Apologies for the lateness, sir, but you have a visitor. She has been waiting here for the last fifteen minutes."

Typical that security would be alerted the moment he used his keycard. But who could his visitor be, at this time of night?

"Who is it?" he asked.

"A Miss Lang, sir."

Lana? The last he'd heard, she'd decided to go to some art school in Paris. What was she doing here?

Curiosity got the best of him and he advised security to let her up. So much for getting some 'privacy', he thought as he poured himself a glass of juice. He took a deep, cleansing breath, hoping he wasn't in for a fight.

The door buzzed a few minutes later and he opened it. Lana Lang had changed a lot in the years since he'd seen her. Before she had been the good girl, dressing in pastel colours. Now she looked sleek and sophisticated, wearing a black sheer top over a silver singlet, and tailored pants.

Her hair, down to her waist in those days, was now cut short in a layered bob which suited her face.

"I'm sorry to call on you so late," she said, "but you've been a hard man to reach the last couple of days."

"I've, uh, been working."

"So I hear," she said.

He frowned at her.

"I called Lex when I came here yesterday and couldn't reach you. He told me you were working as a reporter now."

"Oh. So, would you like some juice? I only have beer, otherwise."

"Thank you. Juice would be great."

Clark was aware of an uncomfortable silence between them but he didn't know how to fix it. He looked her over as he poured the juice.

"You look good, Lana. Paris must have agreed with you."

"It did. I, uh, made a lot of changes in my life."

He passed the glass to her, looking away, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Why did you come, Lana?"

"I guess I felt we had some unfinished business between us," she said. "Clark, when you ... when we ... broke up, I said some things."

Clark raised a hand. "No, Lana, you don't have to apologise for the things you said. You were right. I was self-centred and arrogant and a complete bastard with you. It's me who owes you the apology. I had my reasons for acting the way I did. I know it's little comfort, but ..."

"I know. You were trying to insulate yourself. Lionel taught you that love was a wasted emotion. And I think in your own way, you did imagine yourself in love with me. But you were wrong. I can see that now."

"I treated you like shit," he said.

"Clark, it's okay. I came to terms with that a long time ago. And in a small way, you did me a favour. Both you and Lex, actually. It made me grow up." She looked hesitant. "I ... Clark, I came here tonight because I ... I needed closure. I just needed to close the book on that part of my life. Does that make sense?"

Clark nodded. "Lana ..."

"No, Clark. Don't. You know, back then, I would have done anything for you. What I felt for you was more than I'd ever felt for anyone. But I don't have those feelings anymore. I let you go a long time ago."

"I don't have those feelings either," he admitted.

"But there is someone who does make you feel that way?" Lana prompted.

Clark smiled, thinking of Lois. It was more than just attraction. She made him feel weak and strong at the same time. If Lois asked him for the moon, he would fly there just to capture it for her. Or a piece of it. She made him feel like he could do anything.

Lana snickered. "I can tell from your face that it's true. I'm glad, Clark."

He looked at her.

"Lana ..."

"I'm engaged, Clark. I'm getting married."

"Who is he?"

"You might remember him from Smallville High. His name's Pete Ross. He's a lawyer – well, he will be once he passes the bar. He just started working for a firm here in Metropolis."

"Congratulations. You must be very happy."

For the first time, Clark noticed a diamond ring on her finger. It wasn't hugely expensive, by Luthorian standards, but her fiancé must have saved a month's salary to buy it.

And he was happy for her. After everything he'd put her through, Lana deserved to be happy.

"I'm glad, Lana. I don't remember Pete, but I can tell he makes you happy."

"He does," Lana said, her smile almost blinding as she thought of her fiancé. The love was as clear as day.

They sat at the counter and began to talk over old times.

When Clark made it into work next morning, he bumped into Lex.

"Lana came to see me last night," he told his brother.

"I thought she might. What happened?"

"She's getting married. He's a lawyer."

"How do you feel about it?"

Clark looked at Lex. "I feel fine about it, actually. We had a long talk over what happened between us and we've put the past behind us."

Lex studied him thoughtfully.

"You know, Clark, I have to say that I'm a little surprised, but I'm glad that Lois has had such a good influence on you. In terms of your attitude, anyway. I'm still not so sure about the investigative journalism part."

"I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, but if Lucas has done his homework with Dad's files, he'll know about your powers."

Clark stretched. "I'm kind of surprised Dad never told him about me."

"I think he trusted Lucas less than we did; which isn't saying much."

Clark followed Lex into his office. "So, you're saying I should watch my back."

"Exactly. How did the dinner go last night?"

"Well, let's see, the general hates me, and not because I'm a Luthor. But because I'm dating his daughter. Although, technically, we haven't even been out on the first date yet."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him, then laughed.

"Yeah, you seem to be doing this backwards."

"I haven't slept with her yet, if that's what you're thinking."

"Good. Take your time. Get to know her. What else did the general say?"

"Oh, well, he compared the old man to a Great White."

Lex laughed again. "Ha. Now whenever I hear the Jaws theme, I'll be thinking of Lionel. Classic!"

"He gave us the name of someone he figured might be interested in 33.1."

"Good." Lex looked up toward the doorway. "Morning Lois," he said, smiling.

Clark turned and looked at Lois. She was wearing a belted red blouse and black skirt with high heels. Her hair was loose, falling down her back in dark chestnut waves. She really was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Hi," he said softly. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a log," she smiled. "We have a meeting with Perry's friend at nine."

"Oh, right," he said.

Since Perry had set it up, he'd arranged for the meeting to be in his office. Clark was looking forward to meeting with, as Perry called him, the old warhorse. He was sure the man had a lot of stories to tell.

He followed Lois down to Perry's office at five minutes to nine and waited while she knocked on his door.

"Enter," Perry barked. He looked up at them. "Lane, Luthor. Good. I'd like you to meet Bob Sanford. Bob's the reason I became a newspaperman himself."

"Ah, you flatter me Perry," the man said, getting up to shake hands with them.

Clark found himself the subject of the older man's scrutiny. Sanford was probably in his seventies, but his eyes were still as sharp as if he was in his thirties. His grip was strong, and if Clark had been only a human, he was sure the man could have broken a bone or two. He squeezed back.

"Whoa, watch that grip there son," the elder journalist chuckled.

He turned his gaze on Lois.

"Well, they sure do make 'em prettier these days," he said, winking at Lois.

Lois laughed. "Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

Sanford settled back into his seat. "It sure ain't like the old days," he said. "Back when I started, there weren't a lot of women in the job."

"Well, times change Bob. And you're looking at the best damned investigative reporter I've seen since, well, you," Perry answered.

"And here I thought you would have snatched that title from me, Perry. You had the makings of one."

"Until Lionel Luthor," Perry remarked.

Clark frowned at him. "What did he do?" he asked.

"Tried to ruin my career. Part of it was because of what I did when Lex was sixteen, but your old man knew I was digging into his past. Had me blacklisted from practically every news organisation in the state. Didn't let it stop me though."

"I didn't know that, Perry. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Clark. You're not responsible for your old man. Hell, I have to admit I'm surprised you and Lex turned out as well as you did, considering."

"Given different circumstances, maybe we would have become just like Lionel," Clark said.

Or it could have been even worse. Given his powers, Clark knew that Lionel could have made him into anything he wanted. Even a killer. God knew, he'd certainly tried to beat that streak of morality out of Clark. But Clark would always remember the look of fear on his mother's face the day he'd witnessed what his father had done. And he'd never wanted to disappoint his mother.

Lillian's death had hit him hard. But the day before she died, Lillian had called him to her side.

"Clark, I want you to always be a good boy. You don't have to be what your father wants. You're my strong little man and I just know that one day you're going to grow up and help people, the way you always do for me. And no matter what happens to me, just know I'll always be watching over you."

Her words had been almost prophetic, as if she'd known she would never have left the hospital.

Lois nudged him. "You okay?" she whispered.

He nodded and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"So, Bob, I'm betting you would have been one of the reporters on the paper when Lionel first started Luthorcorp."

"And a few years before that, Clark. Lionel was not the mogul you were raised by. You know he grew up in poverty?"

"It was one of his lesser known secrets, but yeah, we knew."

"What about his parents?" Bob asked.

Clark frowned. He'd never met his grandparents and Lionel had never talked about it.

"I didn't know them."

"Well, of course not, son, they died a long time before you were born. Lachlan Luthor was a Scottish immigrant, but a real piece of work, I can tell you that. I knew this cop from the local precinct down in Suicide Slums. The Luthors lived in a tenement building there. Lionel's father was a violent criminal. Got arrested a few times for armed robbery."

"Why wasn't he locked up permanently?" Lois asked, frowning.

"Well, he never killed anyone. That they knew of. Never did an honest day's work in his life, that much I can tell you. And he was a drunk. Beat up his wife and kid – that was Lionel. Eliza wasn't much better. Too fond of the gin. Practically bathed in it."

Hmm, so the apple didn't fall far from the tree, Clark thought. He caught a look from Lois and realised she was thinking it too. He offered her a small smile and a shrug.

"So what happened to the elder Luthors?" Perry asked.

"An explosion. Blew the windows out of two city blocks. Let's see, that was back in ... '73, I think. The tenement stood where Edgecliff Condos were built."

"Weren't those owned by Luthorcorp?" Clark asked, getting a sinking feeling.

"They were, until they were bought out six months ago."

"By Marionette Ventures!" Lois said breathlessly.

Bob continued. "I knew a detective in that precinct. But they were forced to drop the investigation into the fire."

"Why? I mean, surely it would have sounded suspicious enough to ..."

"The slumlords controlled City Hall in those days, Lois."

"What are you saying? That the slumlord that owned the tenement ..."

"Not just the slumlord. There were traces of ammonium nitrate."

"Which is an agent used to oxidise explosives," Clark finished.

"The cops could never prove it, but they believed Morgan Edge set up the explosion that killed your grandparents. And he was in cahoots with Lionel. They split the insurance money. That was how Lionel started the company. Of course, then he met your mother. And she gave him a much-needed boost to get into Metropolis society."

"But if they thought Lionel ..."

"Lionel had an airtight alibi. He was moonlighting at a print shop at the time of the explosion."

Clark walked out of the meeting feeling as if he'd been hit by a train. Without his powers. Lois touched his arm.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Lionel killed my grandparents. And it sounds like he had evidence proving Morgan Edge had a hand in it."

"Which gives Edge a motive for killing Lionel. But why wait thirty years? It doesn't make sense."

"I don't know. Maybe up until last year there was no need to. I mean, it sounds to me like they each had their separate territories."

"And maybe Morgan got tired of sharing the keys to the kingdom," Lois mused. "Maybe he wanted to be king all by himself."

"It's all supposition, though. We don't know for sure that that's the murder Lionel was talking about."

"But it is the one thing that proves a connection between them. And it would make sense for Edge to use Lucas."

"Not if Lionel didn't trust Lucas," Clark argued.

"We both know that Lucas is working for Edge now. That memo we found the other night proves it."

"It only really proves that Edge has ordered Lucas to stop Lex getting in the way."

"By threatening Lena? It just shows that Lucas isn't one of the great thinkers of our time."

"You're right, he's not."

Lois flopped down into her chair.

"So, where to next? I mean, it's a pretty good bet that whatever evidence Lionel had on Edge, it's long gone."

Clark sat down in front of the computer and started typing.

"I think we need to find out as much as we can about Morgan Edge."

Lois brought her chair around to his side as Clark began researching. Edge owned several small businesses and one of them was a nightclub called Atlantis. Another was a 'gentleman's club' called The Windgate. Edge's main office was rumoured to be in one of those clubs. Clark glanced at Lois, seeing her thoughtful expression.

"Oh no you don't," he said.

Lois stared at him. "What?"

"Don't even think about going undercover. You promised Lex."

"You'd still be there to keep an eye on things. Clark, you want to get the dirt on Edge, this is the only way to do it."

"No, Lois. Absolutely not."

"Listen, Luthor, if you're ever going to be an investigative reporter, you've gotta learn to take some risks."

"I'd rather keep my head on my neck, because we both know that if Lex finds out, it's both our heads on the chopping block."

"Oh you are such a drama queen."

"I'm a drama queen? Who's the one who has had to be rescued by the Blur, say I don't know, four times? Maybe more?"

"The Blur didn't save me the other night. I saved myself. I had it all in hand."

"Right. And those guards The Blur took out? What were they, chopped liver?"

"Hey, I could have handled them."

"Before or after they shot you?"

"Let's face it, Luthor. The only reason we're even having this argument is because you're mister over-protective."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt. Is that a crime? Damn it, Lois, I care about you!"

Lois opened her mouth to respond, then seemed to change her mind.

"I ... okay, okay, you're right."

"Ooh, ouch, I bet that hurt."

"What?"

"Admitting I'm right," he grinned.

Lois scowled and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!" he said, clutching his shoulder. It hadn't hurt at all, of course, but he had to keep up the pretence.

They had a message later that morning from Slade Wilson. The three-star general had given them clearance to see him at his office at Fort Ryan that afternoon. As Clark waited with Lois in the office, he spotted a bulletin board with several sketches. As the Blur, he'd left a mark whenever he'd made a save – the El family crest. And the general had a sketch of it. He also had sketches of each member of the team. There was Green Arrow, Bart, or Impulse as he'd been called, Aquaman, Cyborg. It seemed the general had a lot more information about them than he realised. Even Batman was there.

He needed to talk to Lex. And Oliver. This was worrying.

"I wonder who these guys are," Lois mused, studying the sketches.

Clark shrugged, hoping to get her off the scent. "I don't know."

"Well, it looks to me like the military brass are interested in more than Lucas' project."

Clark didn't have a chance to answer as the door opened and a man a little older than Sam Lane walked in. He was about five ten, aged in his late fifties or early sixties, with a bald spot on his crown and short white hair on the back and sides. His uniform was the same as Lois' father had worn the evening before.

Slade Wilson appeared to have a kind face, but Clark could see a shrewdness in the man's eyes. He was definitely a man not to be crossed.

Lois approached the general.

"Lois ..."

"Lane. You're Sam Lane's daughter. Always do my homework."

"I guess you wouldn't have given us clearance otherwise," Clark said.

Slade looked him over, his gaze disapproving.

"Clark Luthor, I presume. Let's hope you have bit more sense than your old man."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lionel never did know when to back off," the general commented. "As for you, Miss Lane, I hear you're quite the reporter."

"I'm not just a pretty face," she returned.

"A Lane in name and attitude," Slade smiled.

Clark really didn't like the man. There was something about him that rubbed him up the wrong way. And it wasn't totally because the man was investigating him, and his friends.

"So what can I do for you?" the general enquired.

"We heard you might be in talks with Lucas Dunleavy over a project called 33.1," Clark said.

"Now that would be classified information, Mr Luthor," Slade said, his wily gaze sweeping over Clark once more.

Clark fought an involuntary shiver at that gaze.

"Classified or not, is it true?"

"You're very direct, aren't you? No beating about the bush. Yeah, I like that in a reporter. But the answer to your question is, no comment."

"Why no comment?" Lois asked.

"Your brass will only get you so far, Miss Lane. There are people higher up that I answer to. I will say this much. There are threats in this world that sometimes aren't clear until they're on your doorstep. And the military are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the citizens from those threats."

"As in what?" Clark asked. "Give us an example."

Slade glanced to the bulletin board. Clark frowned at him. He saw them as a threat?

Lois must have caught the glance as well.

"You think The Blur is a threat? The Blur helps people."

"The Blur and his cohorts incite anarchy. We don't take kindly to those who work outside the law."

"And what do you expect them to do?" Clark asked. "Work for the government?"

"Why not? That way we'd have greater control over what they do."

"In other words, you'd expect them to do your dirty work," Clark returned. "You'd rather they be your puppets than allow them to make their own decisions."

"Better that than having them run around doing as they please. There are greater things at stake than muggings."

"You'd have them going off to fight your wars, stopping terrorists, never questioning."

"Sounds to me like you're a sympathiser, Luthor."

"I'd rather be known as a Blur sympathiser than support policies which are morally questionable."

"Huh, I guess the apple does fall far from the tree then. Your old man wouldn't have questioned it."

"Lionel Luthor would agree with anything as long as he could make a profit from it. And as for his morals, the man would stop at nothing, including murder, to get what he wanted."

And that pretty much ended the conversation, Clark thought, fuming as they returned to the office.

"Clark, what was that all about?" Lois asked. "You were acting really defensive. I mean, I thought you didn't like the Blur?"

"I never said that. I just think Slade has him pegged wrong, that's all."

"It's just not like you to attack someone like that," she said. "And I know you and your dad had your problems, but ..."

Clark turned, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Would you rather I have turned out like Lionel? Be as immoral as him?"

"No, Clark. Don't twist my words. I just think that attacking someone like Slade doesn't help the situation either."

Clark sighed. "You're right. I guess I am a little defensive when it comes to Lionel."

"Well, I can't blame you for being defensive. You have a lot to be angry about. But ..."

"I know I acted unprofessionally," he said. "I didn't like the guy."

"Neither did I," Lois told him. "He made me feel ..."

Clark looked at her. "What?"

"Well, ever crawled in icy cold slime?"

Clark shuddered. He hadn't but he could imagine it. Lois must have interpreted his expression.

"Yeah, me too."

Clark glanced at his watch. It was almost six. He scratched at his upper lip.

"Uh, so we're still on for tonight, right?"

Lois looked at him, her eyes glinting.

"If there's one thing a Lane doesn't do, it's back out of a challenge. Or a bet."

"I told you the bet was off," he told her.

Lois grinned. "Relax, I'm just yanking your chain. But you still owe me dinner."

For a moment, Clark let some of his old self come through as he leered at her.

"Well, you know, we could still have that bet," he said. "Of course, that would mean I win."

"Oh, you wish, Luthor," Lois retorted with a snort. "There's no way you're getting me into bed with you anytime soon."

Clark let out a long-suffering sigh. "Oh, well, I tried."

"You're cute, Luthor, but you're not that cute." She grinned. "And on that note, I'm going to go home and change. Unless you're planning on taking me out to Benny's Diner."

It was Clark's turn to snort.

"Please, I do have a bit more class than to take a beautiful woman to some cheesy diner."

Lois blushed at the compliment, but said nothing. She grabbed her bag from the desk and started to walk past him out the door. Then she seemed to change her mind and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

"Pick me up in an hour," she said, before slipping past him. She turned in the doorway. "One hour, Luthor."

Clark waited until Lois had got into the lift before he sped out of the building to Watchtower. Oliver was there, checking the monitors. Bruce and Chloe had returned to Gotham the night before, but had left the number of the Batcave.

"What's up?" Oliver asked.

"One second," Clark said. He called up the Batcave.

Bruce answered immediately, making it clear he'd been working on something in the cave.

"Clark? What's going on?"

"Have you heard of a General Slade Wilson?"

Bruce frowned at him. "No. Should I have?"

"Well, he knows you. Batman, at any rate. He also knows about Impulse, Aquaman, Cyborg, Green Arrow and the Blur. And a few others as well."

"Is this knowledge dangerous?"

"I think so," Clark said. "The general refused to comment, but I think Lucas is trying to do a deal with him on 33.1."

"To what end?" Oliver asked.

"That's what we have to find out."

Clark quickly brought them up to speed on what he and Lois had learned so far.

"So somewhere there is evidence linking Morgan Edge and Lionel to your grandparents' murders?" Bruce asked.

"Unless it's been destroyed by now. Lois has a plan ..."

Oliver frowned. "Yeah, I don't know Lois that well, but from what I do know, plan plus Lois equals disaster. And Lex would never go for it."

Bruce looked thoughtful.

"From what I've seen of Lois, she's likely to go ahead and do it anyway. You're better off working together on this. What's her plan?"

"Edge owns a couple of clubs. One is a nightclub and the other is a gentleman's club."

"You mean a strip joint?" Oliver asked.

"They don't call them strippers these days, Oliver. They call them exotic dancers." And was that a smile from Bruce? Was he actually making a joke? Bruce went on. "Getting back to the general. What do you think he's planning to do with 33.1?"

"If Lucas is following Lionel's plan, build an army. Since the general can't get the co-operation from us, he'd want someone he can control."

"It seems to me that if the Joker is involved, then there is likely to be some sort of double dealing going on," Bruce mused aloud.

"You think the Joker might be interested in 33.1 as well?"

"I don't know. To be totally frank with you, you and Lois were right when you said the Joker wasn't much of a team player. But there is evidence to suggest he's trying to get a few of the local criminal fraternity together and it wouldn't surprise me if he's trying to build his own criminal army."

"Where is the Joker now?" Clark asked.

"He's been keeping a low profile. Which, if he's true to form, means he's planning something big."

Bruce picked something up from the table.

"I had these developed. They're a little more sophisticated than what Oliver managed to come up with, and they have a greater range. They're wired remotely to Watchtower communications. I left two in Watchtower for you and Oliver. If you need me, just buzz me."

Clark nodded, seeing the communicators Bruce was talking about. They were as small as a hearing aid, designed to fit in the ear, and transparent.

He was starting to think he might have Bruce pegged wrong.

"Thanks Bruce. I'll keep you posted. Clark out."

He turned and looked at Oliver.

"I've gotta go."

"The dinner date with Lois?" Oliver asked.

"How did you know about that?" Clark asked his friend.

"Lois let it slip about the bet," Oliver chuckled. "You're not really going through with that, are you?"

"The bet is off," he said. "We're just going to have dinner together and then see where it goes from there."

"Gotta admit, Clark, I'm liking this new you. Now if you could just keep Lois out of trouble, we'll all be happy."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at him. "Keep Lois out of trouble? Something tells me that would be like Mission: Impossible."

Oliver laughed. "Get out of here. Don't want to keep the lady waiting."

Clark mock-saluted his friend and left for his apartment. He quickly showered and changed, checking the clock. It was twenty minutes to seven as he stood in front of the mirror, checking his reflection.

He'd changed into charcoal pants and a dark blue sport coat. The effect was less formal, but not quite casual.

Clark whistled as he made his way downstairs to his car. He'd left it behind that morning, using his super-speed instead.

As soon as he knocked on Lois' door, he heard her footsteps.

"You're right on time," she smiled as she opened the door.

Clark was speechless as he looked her over.

"Wow!" he said.


	25. Date

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lois had informed the cab driver to pull out all the stops and get her home as quickly as humanly possible. The driver took her literally and practically broke all the speed laws. She almost wished she hadn't told Clark an hour, given her preference for marathon showers, but she wanted to make the most of the evening.

As soon as she was inside the house, she hurried to the bathroom, stripping off her clothes and dumping them on the floor as she went. She turned on the shower, grabbing the make-up remover and wiped off the day old make-up, then jumped in under the warm water.

She wondered what Clark had in mind for the date. She knew what he wanted to do, of course, but she was firm on that point. And he seemed to be heeding that, or so it appeared.

Twenty minutes later, Lois was out of the shower and putting on her make-up again. Her army brat upbringing had taught her how to maximise her time and she still had to figure out what to wear.

Clark hadn't said where they were going for dinner, but at least it wasn't a diner. Should she wear formal, she wondered as she applied mascara. No, not too formal. And nothing like what she'd worn the other night.

She really wanted to knock his socks off.

Make-up done, Lois donned the kimono robe her father had brought her back from Japan, where he'd been stationed her senior year of college and went to check her closet. She saw the clothes she'd dumped on the floor and quickly grabbed them, stuffing them in the hamper in the bathroom. Wouldn't want Clark to think she was a total slob.

Back to the closet and she began looking through her wardrobe. She couldn't wear clothes she normally wore to work, she thought, as she pushed the hangers back. She pulled out one outfit. It was a calf-length dress in Chinese brocade silk. It was adorned with pearl buttons on the bodice giving it an old-fashioned look. The white fabric was lovely, but she had a tendency to spill things, especially if she was flustered, and the last thing she wanted to do was spoil the dress.

"No," she said to herself. "That won't do."

She pulled out a black knee-length dress with cap sleeves.

"Nope," she said, putting that one aside as well.

She continued searching, thinking of ways to impress Clark. Most of the clothes she had were years old. Her aversion to shopping again, she sighed.

She thrust the hangers back, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. Clark would be there in fifteen minutes and she still had nothing. Then she spotted something.

Pulling the dress out, she held it up against her and looked critically at her reflection. The animal print was nice. Sexy. But that wasn't the goal for tonight. Tonight was all about them getting to know each other better. She started to put the hanger back, then saw another dress just two hangers away.

She pulled it out and held it up. It had a similar design to the animal print, with shoestring straps and tight bodice designed to push her breasts up a little, just as Clark had demonstrated in the fashion boutique. The fit was just tight enough to mould her curves. The skirt was just above the knees, designed to accentuate the length of her legs. The dark burgundy brought out the hazel in her eyes. A gold necklace and bracelet would be the perfect accessories. Lois looked at her reflection in the mirror thoughtfully. It was a little daring, but what the hell.

She had just finished blow-drying and styling her hair when Clark knocked on the door. She opened it to find him staring in open-mouthed admiration.

"Wow!" he said.

Lois waited, a slow smile forming.

"You look ... incredible," he added finally.

"Thank you. You look great yourself."

He held out his arm. "Shall we go?"

"I'll just grab my jacket and my bag," she said, moving quickly to pull a jacket from the closet and the matching handbag. She grabbed her keys from the table and put them in her bag with her purse and met Clark on the doorstep.

The restaurant was up-market and intimate. Clark was clearly well-known here as the staff greeted him like an old friend. Lois looked around as they were shown to their table.

"Do you bring all your dates here?" Lois asked, immediately regretting the question.

"No. Actually the owner is a friend of mine from college. I helped her get started. She's an amazing cook." He looked up and smiled. "Here she comes."

Lois watched as a blonde woman approached them. She was wearing a black pant suit with a white blouse. The effect was business-like but feminine. Clark stood up and grinned at the woman.

"Clark, I thought I saw your name on the guest list," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Alicia, you look great. How's business?"

"Business is great, thanks to you."

Clark turned and smiled at Lois. "Lois Lane, this is Alicia Baker."

Alicia studied her. "Lois Lane. As in the reporter?"

Clark nodded. Alicia smiled again, this time directed at Lois.

"You're an amazing writer, Miss Lane. I've read all your articles. Especially the ones on the Blur."

"Thank you," Lois said, blushing. She liked this woman. "So, um, Clark said you met in college?"

Alicia glanced at Clark, and Lois thought she detected a little unease in the woman's expression. Then she gave a tinkling little laugh.

"College. Yes. I mean, Clark, of course, went to college early but we met when I was a freshman and he was like the big man on campus. I guess you could say I was more of a science geek back in high school, but then Clark tasted some of my creations and et voila. He convinced me I would make a great restaurateur and here we are."

"Well, the place looks great," Lois said.

She was dying to ask Alicia whether she and Clark had ever dated, but there was no way to ask that question without sounding rude. Or stuck-up. But Clark seemed to sense what she was thinking anyway, as Alicia went to greet some more customers.

"No, Lois. We didn't."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Didn't what?"

"Don't play Miss Innocent," he said. "I know what you're thinking. And I don't sleep with every woman I come across. I can actually have female friends."

"Well, I ... Okay, okay, point taken."

A waiter brought a bottle of Chardonnay and poured for them.

"I'll be back with your menus," he told them.

"No rush," Clark answered.

Lois looked up at the waiter. "Um, could we also get a bottle of water for the table?"

"Could you make it tap water?" Clark asked. He leaned forward and spoke conspiratorially. "You know the mineral water they sell is really just tap water dressed up to look as if it came from a spring."

Lois looked at him. "You know, that's exactly how I feel," she said.

"Looks like we're on the same page," he smiled.

Lois wasn't sure what to do next. She kept fidgeting in her seat, wondering how to ask him questions without it sounding like an interview.

"You can go ahead and ask, Lois. Anything you're dying to know."

"Well, you said you'd travelled a lot. Where did you go?"

Clark smiled. "First, I went lumberjacking in Canada. It was actually a very humbling experience."

"How so?"

"Well, you'd think that most lumberjacks are quite tough guys, and some of them are, but there were more than a few who were the nicest guys you'd ever meet. They would give you the shirts off their backs if you needed them. One of them was an incredible cook. He used to make the most amazing flapjacks I ever tasted and he taught me how to make them."

Lois thought she would love to try the flapjacks one day. Just from the look of hunger and delight on Clark's face as he talked about them.

"So, I did that for about three months, then I took off for Europe."

Lois listened as Clark regaled her with tales of his adventures in Europe, dealing with the locals, breaking the language barrier, and learning about different cultures. He was a great story-teller, with just the right mix of humour and drama in the stories.

"Anyway, from there I decided to check it out down under, as they like to call it, and there is some of the most beautiful scenery you could ever find. One day, I'll take you there and I'll show you what I mean."

"I've never been there. My dad was stationed in Germany for two years when I was a kid, and I've been to Europe. I went to Africa once – was there for about three months working the foreign desk."

"I guess it's part of the Daily Planet initiation," Clark smiled. "To work a foreign desk."

The waiter brought the menus and they fell silent, studying the choices for a few minutes. Lois decided on her order and Clark beckoned the waiter over. When the waiter had gone again he leaned forward.

"So why did you decide to be a reporter?"

"It's kind of a long story, but, well, Dad moved us to Fort Ryan the year I was meant to go to Met U, only I kind of failed my senior year. My sister, Lucy, was at a boarding school in Switzerland and I was sort of a rebel back then." She laughed and Clark chuckled.

"I can imagine," he said.

"Anyway, my Dad made me repeat my senior year and told me I had to knuckle down or else and I ended up going to Smallville High. And there was this girl. Abby. Chloe told me that Abby had been bullied at the school. I mean, she was just your average teenager, with, you know, average skin problems. But people made fun of her and, well, her mom was a cosmetic surgeon so she had plastic surgery. Well, Chloe and I just felt that was wrong and we did a story about it. It turned out the mother was using some kind of treatment which involved meteor rocks and it caused all sorts of problems. That was my first foray into journalism.

"Well, then Lionel closed the plant and everything sort of went kablooey in the town. There were a lot of people out of work and they had to find jobs in the city. And Chloe and I decided we'd try investigating Lionel, but he was, you know, too powerful."

Clark frowned. "He didn't threaten you, did he?"

"No, well, not then." Lois sighed. "Anyway, I started at Met U and Chloe got a scholarship to Gotham U. I guess after everything that happened in Smallville, she just wanted a fresh start away from everything and the scholarship just seemed to open up a lot of things for her."

"Part of that was me," Clark admitted. "What I did to her."

Lois put a hand on his. "That's in the past, Clark. And I know why you did. You were a different person then."

Clark smiled. "You have a lot of faith in me, Lois Lane."

By this time, the food had arrived and Lois found the food was every bit as delicious as Clark had promised.

"Oh, this is amazing," she said.

Clark chuckled. "Told you it was good." He speared a piece of his steak with mushroom sauce. "Try this," he said, holding it out for her.

Lois took the bite and her eyes closed in bliss.

"Oh, that's delicious. Try mine."

Lois had ordered Chicken Provencal. Clark took the bite she proffered and pronounced it just as delicious.

The conversation just seemed to flow after that. She found herself telling Clark about the Kents and their adopted son. She was surprised to learn that Martha had once worked for Lillian and Clark's mother had chosen his name simply because she'd liked Martha's maiden name.

"I guess Martha's the closest I have to a mom since my own mom died," Lois told him.

"That must have been a difficult time," Clark said with sympathy. "It's great that you have someone you can be that close to. I'd really like to meet them one day."

"Um, yeah, they're not too crazy about the Luthors. Jonathan, uh, even warned me to stay away from you."

"I'm sure he just wanted to protect you, Lois. And I probably didn't give the greatest first impression either when we met."

"I have to admit that my judgement was coloured by my feelings about Lionel. I guess I thought you and Lex were the same as him. You know, when I started writing stories about Lionel and all the unethical projects he was behind, he tried to have me fired. He threatened the paper with suits for defamation if they didn't get rid of me."

"I'm not surprised," Clark told her, sipping his wine, then dabbing at his lip with a napkin. "That's just the kind of thing Lionel would do."

"Anyway, I know I gave you and Lex a hard time when Lex first bought the Daily Planet. I'm sorry about that."

Clark waved his hand. "Don't apologise. I mean, if there's one thing I've learned about respect, it's that it has to be earned. And I can see that Lex has done that." He grinned. "You're a hard woman to impress, Lois Lane."

Lois grinned back. "Damn straight."

"Would you like to order dessert?" he asked.

Lois nodded. Clark waved the waiter over and ordered a slice of Alicia's specialty. A very rich chocolate cake.

"Can I ask you something?" Lois said as they shared the dessert.

"Sure Lois. What is it?"

"Why a cable show? I mean, you could have got into journalism easy with your qualifications."

Clark chewed on his lower lip for a moment.

"Well, part of it was ego. I guess I liked to think I was practically an expert on women and I wanted to impart some of that wisdom on others."

"Wisdom?" Lois snickered.

"All right, all right, so maybe I don't know everything about women, but I think I know a little more than most guys."

Lois snorted. "Right. You know so much about women's fantasies. Or are you forgetting our argument the other day?"

"I remember every conversation we've ever had, Lois," he said with a smile.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Tell me, I want to know. How did it happen?"

"Well, a friend invited me to join him on his cable show. It started off as something of a joke between us and somehow it got onto the show. Then my friend dropped out and I took over."

"But really, I mean, what makes you think you know everything about women?"

"You think all I do is sleep with them? I do talk to them, Lois."

"So the women you sleep with, they're all just fodder for the show?" she asked.

She should be mad. She really should. But then again, a guy who took as much trouble as Clark did to get to know women that intimately, even if it was for a cable tv show, might know more about satisfying a woman's needs than the average Joe.

She wouldn't admit it to him, but she had watched a few nights and Clark not only seemed well-versed on the subject of men and women, but he had a way of drawing people in. Sure, he was full of innuendoes, but it was funny as well as informative. That coupled with Clark's handsome face was enough to keep her interested. She wondered what it would be like with Clark using that knowledge in bed.

"The women I've talked to know full well that our conversations end up being a subject of discussion. I don't lie to them, Lois. I don't identify them and I don't violate their privacy, if that's their choice."

But hadn't he done just that with her? He'd actually admitted that he'd known about her call to the cable show. Clark went on.

"You said I could have got into journalism easily. I couldn't. Lionel made sure of that."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"He basically had me blacklisted. Told prospective employers not to hire me."

"He couldn't do that!" she said, incredulous.

"He could, and he did. I think with some of the papers he threatened to withdraw advertising for Luthorcorp. Others, I think he might have threatened to shut down. Lex told me before he asked me to write a column for the Planet that Lionel did that with them."

"Why?"

"Because he wanted me dependent on him. He wanted me to go crawling back to him and I wouldn't."

"I'm glad you didn't give in to him, Clark," Lois said, touching his hand. "Your father was an evil man. Everything you aren't."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"I mean it," she told him.

"I know you do," he returned.

"So, um, would you, uh, talk about us on the show?" she asked hesitantly.

"Would you want me to?" he enquired with a tilt to his head.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Maybe not."

"Then I won't. That's if I ever have time to do another show," he added with a frown.

Lois looked at him, frowning. "You're not doing anything right now?"

She realised it had been a while since she'd watched the show. It screened three times weekly, usually.

Clark snorted. "Keeping you out of trouble is a full-time job! I barely have time for my column!"

"So you haven't done any shows?"

"The station is running some taped shows at the moment. They're not all that happy about it, but I'll go in and tape some more to appease them and maybe do a live show next week. They're only a small station and my show is one of their biggest drawcards. Especially for advertisers."

Clark looked around. The restaurant was still busy, but they'd been here over two hours now.

"You want to go?" he asked.

"Where?"

"There's a club a few blocks from here."

Clark waved the waiter over for the cheque. There was a brief argument between them with the waiter insisting that Clark didn't have to pay, since he was a friend of the owner, but Clark was equally insistent on paying. Lois was sure more than ever that she had Clark pegged all wrong when she first met him. Clark might have been the son of one of the richest men in Metropolis, but he didn't use it to lord over everyone.

As usual, Clark seemed to know what she was thinking from her expression and he snickered.

"Make no mistake, Lois. I've been the spoilt rich brat over the years, and I've caused my fair share of mayhem."

"Like what?" she asked, as he took her hand and went to pay the cashier. Then they walked out of the restaurant and began walking to his car. He turned and looked at her.

"Fighting, getting arrested."

"Yeah, I knew about those, but ..."

"Lois, when I was a teenager, I did everything I could think of to piss off my father, and it worked. I'd go to various clubs and just the use of my name would guarantee acceptance. I took full advantage of it. But I've grown up a lot since those days and, well, when Lex came back with Lena, I knew that that wasn't the kind of role model I wanted to be for her."

Lois raised a hand to his cheek, caressing it gently.

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" she said softly.

Clark nodded. "More than I ever thought possible. I hope that someday I can be as good a father as Lex is. I mean, they have their battles. Lex is busy a lot, and it is hard for Lena ..."

"But anyone can see how much he loves her. He's trying to do the right thing by her and that means a lot. And Lena clearly adores both of you."

Clark smiled and resumed walking. Lois fell silent, deep in thought. Clark clearly wanted to have children of his own, and she hoped that he'd want children with her. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other a couple of weeks. She knew when something was right. Sure, Clark had been annoying when they'd first met, but he was opening up to her more and more and it felt good to know that he could be that open with her.

"I think you'd be a great mom, Lois," Clark said quietly. "You're good with Lena."

"She's easy to love," Lois smiled.

They fell into a companionable silence as Clark drove to the club. It wasn't quite what Lois expected when he pulled up outside. She had expected a nightclub, with loud rock music blaring from speakers, the bass thumping, but this was sedate in comparison. There weren't young people lined up waiting to get in and the bouncers didn't look like beefy bodybuilders. These were men who were almost elegant, standing upright, with stiff postures.

A valet handed Clark a ticket as he got out of the car. Clark quickly came around to the other side of the car and helped Lois out, although she was perfectly capable of getting out herself. The valet didn't even raise an eyebrow at Clark's choice of transport.

One of the men, a tall man with olive skin, smiled in welcome.

"Good evening Mr Luthor," he said, with a little bow.

"Mac." Clark returned the smile with a bright one of his own. "How's the family?"

"Doing well, sir. My daughter just won the state spelling bee."

"That's great!" Clark said, his pleasure genuine. "And Janice?"

"Expecting again." Mac rolled his eyes.

"What's that, number seven?"

"Eight," Mac laughed.

"Well, you'll love this one just as much as the others," Clark returned.

"Have a good night, Mr Luthor."

"Keep up the good work, Mac," Clark said, slipping what looked like a fifty in the man's pocket. He turned and winked at Lois, then, with a hand at the small of her back, guided her inside.

The music playing was something Lois would never have considered. It was almost soft rock, with very little bass to it. She turned to Clark as they stood in the foyer.

"I like to come here sometimes when I'm just wanting to hang out, listen to some good music, that sort of thing."

"You mean, you don't bring dates here?"

He shook his head. "Not usually. If I'm with a date, we usually end up going to one of the other nightclubs. Like Club Zero."

She'd heard of that place. It had been shut down for a while, but had been re-opened a few years ago. And it not only had a reputation for the kind of hard and fast music she'd expected from a busy nightclub, but also for hard and fast drugs. Had Clark been involved in the drug scene?

"Club Zero? I heard that's a pretty tough club."

"No, Lois," Clark said, once again reading her mind. "I've never taken drugs. It's not something that interests me. But in case you were wondering, yes, Lex did. He regrets it now."

"I'm sorry, I ..."

Clark shook his head. "It's natural you'd want to know. Come on. I think I see a table free."

He led her to a small booth. A waitress came over.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked.

"A white wine spritzer for the lady and beer for myself," Clark answered.

Lois settled in the booth and watched the couples on the floor. Either this wasn't a hugely popular club or they only let certain patrons in, she thought. The floor wasn't crowded. Lois had always hated the way people were mashed together in other nightclubs. There was never any room to enjoy dancing.

The last time she had been in a club had been in her college days. She'd shared the occasional social night out with colleagues at work, but most of those had been at bars rather than nightclubs.

"This is nice," she commented.

"I'm glad you like it," Clark answered.

She thought over what Clark had told her. If he'd never taken a date to this club before, then that made it all the more special for her.

The waitress returned with their drinks and Clark held up his glass in a sort of toast. She waited for him to say something profound and all she got was a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Salut," he said.

Lois grinned and clinked her glass with his, sipping her drink and listening to the music as she watched the crowd. She looked over at one of the other tables. There was a couple there that looked a little familiar.

"Is that who I think it is?" she asked.

"Yes, that is Nick Solomon, and his co-star. Huh." Clark frowned. "I didn't even know they were dating.

Lois frowned. Nick Solomon was a well-known tv actor who was currently starring in an action-adventure show. The handsome brunet never gave interviews but was the subject of a lot of gossip columns. He'd been rumoured to have been very into the party scene. His co-star played his sidekick/assistant.

"I wouldn't have expected ..."

"What? That he'd come to a place like this? As far as I know, Nick has never taken a single tab of E and I sincerely doubt he's ever participated in an orgy."

Lois grinned. Figures. Clark smirked at her.

"Don't believe everything you read," he said with a wink. He glanced up and Lois was stunned to realise that the very man they had been discussing had come over.

"Luthor. Thought that was you."

The two men exchanged some sort of handshake that looked like some kind of male bonding ritual.

"Hey Nick. How've you been?"

"So-so. I heard you went over to the dark side."

"The dark side?" Lois asked.

Solomon turned and grinned at her. "Yeah, the newspaper biz."

"Forgive me. Nick Solomon, this is Lois Lane."

Nick lifted her hand and kissed it with a flourish. "Ah, the infamous Lois Lane. And I bet she's as deadly as she is beautiful."

"Well, I doubt you'll ever find out," Lois said smartly. "Since I write news, not gossip."

The actor chuckled. "You got a wild one there, Luthor. Looks like she might be too much woman for you. I could always take her off your hands."

Clark immediately began to show his jealous streak, standing up and moving closer to the actor. Lois pulled her hand away from the man.

"Oh, don't you worry," she told him. "Clark can handle me just fine."

She stood up, glowering at the other man, who was several inches shorter than Clark.

"Let's dance," she said, rudely reaching in front of Nick and grabbing Clark's hand.


	26. Closer

Chapter Twenty-Six

Clark let Lois drag him to the dance floor, grinning at Nick's reaction. His old friend had been clearly jealous that Clark was with Lois, despite the fact that his co-star was one of the hottest actresses around. Still, she didn't hold a candle to Lois for beauty and brains.

He'd met Nick years ago when the actor had been chosen for a role in a new tv series which had become hugely popular over the years. Although much older than the character he'd portrayed, Nick had a boyishly handsome face. As soon as the show began to air, Nick had become known as the hot new kid on the block, and he'd frequented a lot of the same clubs Clark had visited. That show had ended after several seasons and Nick had a new show, but he was still well-known for that character.

"Clark?"

Clark turned his attention back to Lois. She looked so amazing tonight. The dress she wore clung to her curves in all the right places and brought out the colour of her eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "I guess I was a little distracted. Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?"

Lois grinned. "The most I got out of you was a 'wow'. Not that I'm complaining."

Clark grinned back. "There's something else I've neglected to do tonight," he said.

He leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss designed to sear her to her very soul. Lois' breath caught in a gasp and she clung to him. He deepened the kiss, tasting her essence, even as the passion ignited a blazing furnace inside him. He'd promised her they'd take it slow, but he wanted her so badly that he knew he was going to go insane if he didn't have her.

Lois pulled away and he let her with regret.

"Easy there, Luthor. Remember the rules."

What rules? His eyes widened as he looked at her. She was smiling smugly at him and he remembered. Those rules.

But if Lois didn't want PDAs, then why had she asked him to dance? Clark thought. He glanced back toward their table and grinned, remembering the exchange with Nick. Nice to know Lois could be just as possessive.

"Are we gonna dance or what?" Lois said impatiently.

Clark chuckled. If there was one thing he had learned about Lois in the past few days, it was that when she made up her mind to do something, nothing would get in her way.

As they moved to the dance floor, the song changed and the new song began with the sounds of a saxophone. Then the artist began to sing.

_**Your love is king,**__**  
><strong>__**crown you in my heart.**__**  
><strong>__**Your love is king,**__**  
><strong>__**never need to part.**__**  
><strong>__**Your kisses ring,**__**  
><strong>__**round and round and round my head.**__**  
><strong>__**Touching the very part of me.**__**  
><strong>__**It's making my soul sing.**__**  
><strong>__**Tearing the very heart of me.**__**  
><strong>__**I'm crying out for more.**__****_

_**Your love is king,**__**  
><strong>__**crown you in my heart.**__**  
><strong>__**Your love is king.**__**  
><strong>__**You're the ruler of my heart.**__**  
><strong>__**Your kisses ring,**__**  
><strong>__**round and round and round my head.**__**  
><strong>__**Touching the very part of me.**__**  
><strong>__**It's making my soul sing.**__**  
><strong>__**I'm crying out for more.**__**  
><strong>__**Your love is king.**_

Clark hadn't been the world's greatest dancer as a teenager. He'd grown to well over six foot tall by the time he was fourteen and he'd felt gawky and un-co-ordinated. Lex had suggested taking dance lessons with a private tutor for a year to improve his co-ordination and it had worked. Of course, the major bonus was he could impress girls.

He took Lois in his arms and began to dance in time to the music. She seemed a little surprised at his skills, but swayed in time with him.

As the song went on, Clark pulled her closer, feeling the warmth of her body next to his. The rest of the world no longer existed as his mind and body became focused on the beautiful woman in his arms.

Lois turned in his arms, and back to chest they danced, bodies moving in unison. His hands moved to her waist, guiding her, even as he felt her ass grinding against him. So much for no PDAs, he thought with a grin.

He needed to get some control of the situation or there was going to be more heat generated than he really wanted right now.

Fortunately the song ended and they broke apart. Lois turned and stared at him, her eyes wide, like a deer caught in headlights. Clark knew what he wanted to do, but he knew full well it wasn't going to happen.

"Uh, sorry if I ... I think I kind of got carried away," Lois said, a blush creeping over her face.

"No, it's okay," he said. He scratched above his lip. "Uh, maybe we should sit for a while," he added.

As soon as they sat again at their table, he quickly adjusted himself. Lois glanced at him, then smiled, and he knew he was busted. He smiled back sheepishly, wondering what it was about this woman that had him losing all power of speech. Normally he'd have some sort of innuendo, but for the first time it escaped him.

"Do you want to order another drink?" Lois asked.

Clark had another idea, and shook his head. But first, Nature was calling.

"I'll be right back, okay?" he said, getting out of the booth.

He checked she wasn't watching and stopped to talk to the DJ before heading to the men's room. As he was washing his hands, Nick came in.

"Hey, Luthor. Looks like you've got a real spitfire there."

Clark smiled. "She is that."

"Sure you can handle her?" Nick smirked. "Seems like she's a real handful."

"You just worry about your date, Nick. I'll worry about mine."

Nick frowned at him.

"Haven't seen you around the club scene lately."

"Haven't been around."

Nick studied him for a few moments.

"Something seems different about you."

"Really? And what brought you to that conclusion?"

"Well, I ..." The actor's eyes narrowed. "You know, I've never seen you in here with a date before. You never bring a girl here."

"What's your point?"

"I just ... don't tell me the great Clark Luthor has actually fallen for one."

Clark turned on his friend. "And what if I have?"

Nick threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Hey man, it's cool. It's just ... you used to be with a different girl every time I saw you. I mean, by now, you'd have your tongue down her throat. What's so special about this one?"

"Lois is ... I can't really describe it. She just ... is."

"Yeah, I hear ya. She has to be one hell of a woman to get you to settle down."

Clark nodded. "She is that. But it's a little too early to be talking about settling down. We've only known each other a couple of weeks."

Nick clapped him on the shoulder. "Still, I think it's great. About time, too."

The two men chatted for a couple of minutes until Clark heard the DJ announcing a short break to change the music set. That was his cue.

"I gotta get back," he said. "She'll be wondering if she needs to call out a search party."

"Aw just tell her she got you so hot and bothered you needed to jerk off."

"Funny! See you round, Nick."

"Not if I see you first," Nick retorted.

Clark returned to the table. Lois was smiling coyly at him.

"That took a while."

"Ran into Nick," he said. "We got to talking."

"Uh-huh," Lois said, her expression suggesting she didn't believe him. But in this case it was true.

They talked for a few minutes over trivial things, carefully avoiding the subject of work, until the DJ returned. He spoke into the microphone.

"I have a special request. From Clark to Lois. For this special night."

Lois' eyes widened as she stared at him. She was listening to the introductory bars of the song.

Clark smiled at her, standing up and holding out his hand.

"Dance with me?"

They moved to the dance floor and Lois put her arms around his neck. He pulled her as close as he dared and they began to sway to the music.

_**I should have known better  
>Than to let you go alone<br>It's times like these  
>I can't make it on my own<br>Wasted days, and sleepless nights  
>And I can't wait to see you again<strong>_

_**I find I spend my time  
>Waiting on your call<br>How can I tell you baby  
>My back's against the wall<br>I need you by my side  
>Tell me it's all right<br>Cos I don't think I can take anymore**_

_**Is this love that I'm feeling  
>Is this the love that I've been searching for<br>Is this love, or am I dreaming  
>This must be love<strong>_

_**Cos it's really got a hold on me  
>A hold on me<strong>_

Lois paused in the middle of the song and looked up at him.

"Clark, I ..."

"Lois, just for now, let's have this. Everything else can wait. It's been an amazing night."

"It really has," she said with a smile. "Thank you."

It was midnight by the time they left the club. They had danced until Clark was sure Lois' feet were sore, but she never complained. Then they talked and danced some more.

She was quiet in the car on the way home.

"Tired?" he asked.

"A little, I guess." She moved over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. This really was a wonderful night."

He took his eyes off the road for a second and smiled down at her. "You're welcome. And I had a great time too."

The journey to Lois' place was all too short. Lois looked at him as he parked the car, with almost a shy expression, which seemed unusual for her. Clark was still reluctant to end the night. It seemed Lois felt exactly the same way as she moved across the seats once more and kissed him.

It was as searing hot as the kiss he'd given her on the dance floor. Lois thrust her tongue in between his lips, demanding, taking what she never needed to ask for. Her arms were around his neck and she was trying to get closer, almost as if she was trying to crawl inside him. He supported her with his hands at her waist as the kiss deepened.

Clark was reminded of another kiss in the car and he couldn't help making a smart remark about it.

"You're not going to try anything, you know, tricky, are you?" he asked, as they paused for breath.

Lois stared at him. Then slapped his shoulder.

"I can't believe you said that," she answered.

"Well, you know, last time ..."

"Let it go, Luthor," she growled, then attacked him with her mouth again.

If this had been a battlefield, Clark would have gladly surrendered to her invasion. The feeling of her hot, sexy body rubbing against his awoke his senses in ways he could never imagine. No other woman ever made him feel as alive as she did.

Lois yelped as she banged her elbow on the steering wheel.

"You know, this really isn't the best place to make out," she said.

"Is that what we're doing?" he asked, just to tease her.

She growled at him again, then opened her door, stepping out. She stood on the pavement and looked pointedly at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"

Clark sighed and got out of the car, following her. He grinned. Same old Lois, he thought. She really was a force of nature.

Lois unlocked the door and kicked off her shoes as soon as she got inside.

"Want something to drink?" she asked.

"No," he replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her back into him.

Lois whimpered as he pushed her against the wall and kissed her, intent on deepening the kiss. But Lois, it seemed, had other ideas. She pushed him away, forcing him against the other wall, keeping him virtually trapped as she kissed him back. And if this was prison, lock him up and throw away the key, Clark thought, winding his arms around her waist.

Somehow they made it to the couch, sinking down on the cushions. Lois had already managed to get his coat off and was busily trying to undo the top buttons of his shirt, while he'd removed her jacket.

Lois sounded breathless as he moved his mouth down to her neck, sucking on the skin just below her jugular vein. Lois moaned softly, turning her head to bare her neck to him.

Clark couldn't get enough of her. He could smell the perfume she had dabbed at her pulse points, and the gentle floral fragrance of the gel she had used in the shower. She tasted of the wine they'd had at dinner and the wine she'd drunk at the club and there was an underlying sweetness that reminded him of wild cherries.

He pulled her into his lap, feeling her grind down on him, making him groan with arousal. He knew without a doubt that Lois was a deeply sensual woman. She held back on that sensuality when she was at work, but when Lois let loose, she was free and untamed. And Clark loved to see that spirit, that fire in her. And yes, it did boost his ego to know that he brought out that side of her.

And he just knew he was going to regret what he was about to do.

Clark pulled away. Lois felt his withdrawal and looked up at him, her eyes hazy.

"What's wrong?"

"We can't do this, Lois. Not yet."

"Do what?"

"What I think we were about to do. Don't get me wrong, Lois. I want you. I want you so badly it kills me, and I know I'm going to regret this, but I promised you we'd take things slowly. And we've just spent the last fifteen minutes practically fucking with our clothes on."

Lois' eyes widened at his words. Then she nodded slowly.

"You're right. I guess we got a little carried away."

"Nothing wrong with that," he said softly. "I just don't want you to regret anything afterward. And I promise when it does happen, there will be no regrets. On either side."

He let her slide off his lap.

"It's late. I should let you get some sleep. Don't forget, we're supposed to be taking Lena out for the day tomorrow."

Lois' expression clearly said she had forgotten.

"So, I'll come by around ten and pick you up?" he suggested.

"Make it nine-thirty," she said. "And bring supplies," she added with a grin. "I'd love to try those flapjacks you were talking about."

Clark stood up, then leaned over and kissed her.

"You drive a hard bargain, Ms Lane," he said.

She had a goofy grin on her face when he left, her spare key in hand.

Next morning, Clark was on her doorstep precisely at nine-thirty with a bag of groceries. It had been two am before he'd got to bed himself, but with his physiology he didn't need a lot of sleep.

As he opened the door and x-rayed her closed bedroom door, he could see that she was still sound asleep. Clark put the groceries on the counter, then tiptoed into her bedroom. Lois was lying in the middle of the bed, her head turned away from the door. Clark lowered himself down to the bed and kissed the crook of her neck, then her shoulder.

Lois woke and rolled over, gazing at him sleepily.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she returned. "Is it that late already?"

"Afraid so. Tell you what. I'll go get started on the flapjacks and you jump in the shower."

"Sounds like a plan," Lois smiled.

Clark grinned. "Good." He leaned over and kissed her, pushing back the bedclothes to help her out of bed.

While Lois went off to shower, he went back to the kitchen and began unpacking the groceries. He found a bowl and added the ingredients for the flapjacks. Just as he'd finished mixing the batter, the doorbell rang. Since Lois was still in the shower, he decided he'd better answer it.

When he opened the door, he stared at the tall blonde man and the redhead. He knew this man. Then he realised something that Lois had told him the night before. The man she considered to be her 'foster father' was the same Jonathan Kent he'd helped years earlier when Bart had stolen his wallet. How could he have missed something so obvious?

"Clark Luthor," Jonathan growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just about to cook Lois some breakfast," he said.

"And why would Lois want anything to do with you?"

The woman, Martha, grasped Jonathan's arm.

"Jonathan ..." she said warningly.

Clark fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was tired of being held responsible for his father's crimes. He took a deep breath and tamped down on his anger.

"Sir, Lois has told me what you think of my family. When it comes to Lionel, you're right to be wary. But he's dead. And I'm not him."

The bedroom door opened and Lois came out.

"I don't hear any ..."

She stopped and stared at the older couple.

"Martha. Jonathan. What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we hadn't heard from you for a couple of days and we thought we'd take you out for breakfast," Martha said. "Catch up."

Lois nodded, going to hug them.

"I guess you've already met Clark," she said. "Look, I know what you're thinking, but let me head you off at the pass, okay? First of all, Clark and I haven't slept together and we're not going to. Not yet, anyway. And second, Clark may be a Luthor in name but he is nothing like Lionel. And if you took a chance and got to know him, you'd see that too."

Clark could see the stubborn set in Jonathan's jaw. But the older man said nothing. Lois continued.

"Clark was just about to make flapjacks. I bet he can make more. We can all sit down and have breakfast together," Lois said brightly.

Martha nodded, then nudged Jonathan.

"I think that's a great idea, sweetheart," she said. "Don't you, Jonathan?"

Clark hid a grin. Lois might be a force to reckon with, but Martha Kent could give her a run for her money.


	27. Fair

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lois made the older couple sit down and grabbed the pitcher of juice from the fridge, pouring them each a glass.

"So how's Clark?" she asked, giving her boyfriend, or at least, she considered him her boyfriend after what they'd done last night, a look to show she wasn't meaning him. He just shrugged and went back to mixing more batter for the flapjacks.

"Studying hard. At least he'll be graduating soon," Martha said proudly.

"I think I met him," Clark spoke up. "It was a few years ago. What's he studying?"

"Business administration," Jonathan said shortly. Lois noticed Martha shoot him a look and he almost rolled his eyes.

"So when does he graduate?" Clark asked.

"He has another year," Martha told him. "He wants to get his masters."

Clark nodded. "That's great. You know, Lex is starting up some internship programs at Luthorcorp. I could ask him to consider your son."

"Don't do us any favours," Jonathan said.

"Jonathan!" Both Lois and Martha spoke sharply.

"I think Clark is considering combining his minor in sports management with his business administration degree," Martha told him.

"Well, Luthorcorp does own the Metropolis Sharks. Let me make some enquiries," Clark said thoughtfully.

"That would be nice. Thank you. So, how are things at Luthorcorp?" Martha asked politely.

"Well, initially Lex had some resistance to the changes he was making. There were a lot of people who were either unaware of Lionel's unethical business practices, or were more concerned about the profits. The stocks lowered considerably in value for a while, but Lex doesn't care about that. He just wants to make sure that everything the company does is above board."

"That's debatable," Jonathan commented.

Lois sent him a glare, and turned to Martha.

"I have to admit, even I was sceptical at first, but I've heard some of the changes Lex has been making and he really does care about what he's doing. Even if it means putting himself in the firing line."

Martha looked concerned. "Does that mean Lex has had threats?"

Clark nodded. "From what we can determine from various sources, Lionel was dealing with some of the criminal underworld, and they aren't big fans of change. Especially when profits are involved. But Lex has his reasons for making the changes."

There was a sizzling in the pan as Clark poured the batter in to cook.

"Lex is a really good guy," Lois told the older couple. "Even if he does get mad at me sometimes."

"Well, on that point, I can't say I blame him," Jonathan said. "You do seem to get yourself into scrapes a lot," he added with a grin.

"Okay, okay," she said, lifting her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Which is why Clark is now my partner at work."

Before the couple could respond to that, the doorbell rang and Lois went to answer it. She was greeted by a tall woman with very short blonde hair and an impassive expression.

"You Lois?"

Lois started to nod in answer, then she was ambushed by a red-headed dynamo.

"Lois! Lois!"

"Lena!" she laughed.

Lena grinned, practically bouncing. "I'm so glad you're coming with me to the fair," she said, talking rapidly. "It's gonna be so awesome."

Lois led the little girl into the house, the blonde following. Lena was chattering nineteen to the dozen, exclaiming over Lois' house and talking excitedly about the day. Lois looked over the little girl's head at the blonde.

"Name's Mercy," the woman said shortly.

"I guessed that," Lois answered.

Lena stopped short when she saw the Kents sitting on the couch.

"Who are they?" she asked, looking up at Lois.

"Lena, these are very dear friends of mine. Say hello to Mr and Mrs Kent. Jonathan, Martha, this is Lex's daughter, Lena."

Lena went up to Jonathan and shyly held out her hand. Jonathan grinned and took it, shaking it. The little girl did the same with Martha.

"Wow, you're pretty," she said. "And you have hair like mine!"

Martha laughed. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Lena." She looked questioningly up at Lois.

"Lex has to work and we're taking Lena to the fair."

Jonathan looked pointedly at Mercy. Lois started to answer but Lena got there first.

"Oh, that's Mercy. She's my bodyguard. Daddy says she has to look after me because some bad men said they were going to hurt me. But I know I'll be safe with Lois and Uncle Clark. Cause Uncle Clark is really strong, and ..."

"And I think a certain young lady has already had way too much sugar this morning," Clark commented, bringing out a stack of flapjacks, along with maple syrup, lemon juice and powdered sugar. "Breakfast is up."

"Ooh, can I have some Uncle Clark?"

"It's 'may I'," he corrected automatically. "Haven't you already had breakfast, Lena?"

"Yeah, but I'm hungry again!" the girl complained.

"You're always hungry," Clark shot back good-naturedly. "And where's my hug this morning?"

Lena jumped up from where she'd been sitting next to Martha and ran to her uncle, who scooped her up in his arms.

Jonathan grinned at Lois. "Wow, she's a handful, isn't she?"

"She's not usually this hyper," Clark told him, plopping Lena down on one of the chairs at the table and handing her a plate with a flapjack on it.

"I'm just excited Uncle Clark. I get to spend the day with you and Lois." She looked up at the Kents. "Are you coming to the fair too?"

"Sorry sweetie," Martha said. "We have a grocery store to run." Lena pouted and Jonathan ruffled her hair.

"I'm sure Lois will bring you by sometime and we can all do something fun together."

Lois grinned. Clark might take a while to win them over, but it looked like Lena had already done so, especially with Jonathan, who she knew loved kids. It was such a shame that the couple had never been able to have kids of their own. They deserved a houseful. But Martha and Jonathan felt they were blessed with their adopted son.

Lena directed operations, making sure Lois sat on her right and Martha, her new friend, sat on her left. Lois grinned up at Clark, who Lena directed to sit opposite her. Mercy opted to stay standing. Lena had already grabbed the bottle of maple syrup and covered her flapjack.

"Lena, save some for everyone else," Clark told her.

Both Martha and Jonathan were chuckling merrily at the little girl's antics. Clark looked apologetically at Lois.

"Sorry. Lex had to go in early and he knew I was coming here first, so he suggested dropping her off here rather than going out to his place to pick her up."

Lois smiled at Clark. Sure, Lena was a bit hyper, but she didn't mind. She adored the little girl. Who was peering at her rather intently.

"Lois?"

"Yeah honey."

"You've got a bruise on your neck."

Lois frowned, putting her hand up to her neck. "Where?"

Lena put her finger on it. "Right there."

Oh crap! she thought, glancing back at Clark, who looked a little sheepish. That was where Clark had ...

Lena was looking curiously from her uncle back to Lois.

"Did you guys have sex?"

Clark choked and began coughing. Lois felt herself turning bright red, while the Kents burst into laughter.

"Lena!" Clark spluttered.

Lois fought to get her composure, then looked at Lena.

"Lena, that's a very personal thing between your uncle and I."

"Sorry, but did you? Cause I think it would be really cool! I really like you, Lois."

"Thank you, sweetie. I like you too. But the answer to your question is no."

"How come?"

"Lena, you're being very nosy," Clark told his niece, grabbing his napkin and wiping his mouth.

"She's naturally curious," Jonathan said. He looked at Lena. "Aren't you honey?"

Lena nodded. "I wish my Daddy would find someone as cool as Lois," she said. "He works too much. I bet if he had someone like Lois he wouldn't work so much and he'd be happy like you Uncle Clark."

Lois raised her eyebrows at Clark. This explained a lot, she thought. Lena was curious about her uncle's relationship since her father seemed to shy away from relationships. She supposed she couldn't blame Lex for being gun-shy. But Lena had obviously caught on to the fact that her father was actually very lonely. It wasn't that he was unhappy, but he did focus too much on work.

"What about your mom?" Martha was asking Lena.

"My mommy let my daddy take me cause she thought Daddy could protect me from my Grandpa."

Both the Kents sent Clark questioning looks.

Clark spoke softly. "Lena's mother was a doctor at Smallville Med. Helen Bryce."

Jonathan nodded soberly. "I met her. She was a good doctor. She disappeared a few months after she married Lex."

"I'm not exactly sure what happened there. Lex doesn't talk much about it. But Lex found out she was spying on him for Lionel and told her to leave. They met up again in Central City one night and Lena was the result. Helen was afraid Lionel might use Lena – do experiments on her, because of her father's exposure to meteor rocks, so she gave her to Lex. He hasn't heard from Helen since."

Martha and Jonathan were looking at Lena and Clark in sympathy.

"God, that's awful," Jonathan said. "I'm sorry your brother had to deal with that."

"Lena's the reason Lex left the country. He knew he couldn't protect her if he stayed."

Lois nodded. That confirmed her earlier suspicions about Lex's sudden departure.

"He did the right thing," Lois told Clark.

Clark shuddered. "Lionel was an evil man. All the things he did, and not just to innocent people, but ..."

She knew he was thinking about what Lionel had done to Lillian, and to him. She blinked away tears, noticing Martha and Jonathan glancing at her, their expressions full of concern. She shook her head.

"Why are you sad Lois?" Lena asked.

Lois reached over and gave the girl a one-armed hug.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm just glad your dad and your uncle didn't become like your grandpa."

"Was grandpa mean to you?" Lena asked her uncle.

"Squirt, I don't think this is a good topic of conversation for the breakfast table," Clark said gently. "We'll talk about it some other time."

"But I want to know."

"Clark, she has a right to know," Lois reminded him.

"No, Lois. I think Clark's right," Jonathan said. He turned to Clark. "I want to say something. I know of some of the evil Lionel did and I want to apologise to you. And to your brother. I've seriously misjudged you. I can see now you are nothing like your father."

"Thank you, Mr Kent. That means a lot."

"Jonathan," the older man said, with a smile. He turned to Lena. "Want to help me clear the table?" he asked.

Lena nodded enthusiastically, getting up and picking up some of the dishes.

Clark started to get up to make coffee and Martha put a hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry if I brought up some bad memories," she said

Clark shook his head, glancing anxiously toward the kitchen. But Lena and Jonathan were chattering away happily.

"It's okay. You may as well know that as well as destroying Smallville, Lionel experimented on people. Those exposed to the meteors. That's why Lex took Lena away. I've done some stupid things in my time, but I never ... I would never ..."

Martha hugged him. Clark seemed a little surprised by that, but he hugged her back.

"It takes a lot of courage to walk away from something like that," she said, and Lois had the impression that Martha understood a lot more than Clark was telling. It seemed pretty clear that Jonathan understood as well.

"When Lex found out he was a father, he swore he wasn't going to raise Lena the way dad did us. He might be a little over-protective and he might work too hard, but ..."

"Anyone can see that Lena is being raised with love. She's a lovely little girl. And I think you handle her very well. She obviously adores you."

"Thank you," Clark nodded. "That means a lot. Excuse me. I'm going to make some coffee." He turned away to go to the kitchen. Lena held out her arms for a hug and he picked her up, cuddling her while he put on the coffee.

Martha looked at Lois. "I can see why you love him," she said.

Lois looked at her in surprise. "I ...

Martha smiled. "Think I don't know when you're that taken with someone? And he's just as taken with you. But ... and I don't want to sound like I'm warning you off him, it's just ... he has a lot of pain from the past. It may be too much for you to handle."

Lois shook her head. "No, I think I'm exactly the person to help him deal with those things. I mean, I don't know everything about what Lionel did to him and Lex, but I know enough. And he needs me. I'm strong enough."

Martha hugged her. "Oh sweetie, I didn't mean ..."

"I know you didn't. Clark has had to deal with all those issues by himself for years and it hasn't exactly made him the easiest person to be around, but now that he's opening up to me, that's changing. I mean, okay, when I first met him, he was kind of arrogant, and a bit of a jerk, but when I saw him with Lena, I knew all that other stuff was just an act he put on to hide his vulnerabilities. He's more himself when he's around her and that's the man I'm falling in love with."

"It won't be easy, Lois. I think it will take some time before he's comfortable enough to tell you everything ..."

"I know it won't be easy. But I'm willing to try."

The older couple left a short time later, after promising that Lena could call them anytime she wanted. Lois could understand why Lena had taken to them so quickly. Despite her usual reserve, Lena seemed to have an instinct for certain people and she'd obviously sensed that the Kents were as genuine as they come.

It was also fairly clear that Lena did not like Mercy one bit. She wasn't meaning to be rude, but the little girl ignored the blonde, who just seemed to take it in her stride. Lois was curious about that. She wondered what had happened between the blonde woman and Lex for Lex to trust her so implicitly, especially with his daughter's wellbeing, but Mercy wasn't going to explain.

Lena chattered happily in the car as Clark drove to the fairground. Mercy was not exactly happy about having to sit in the back, but Lois just shrugged at Clark. Mercy's job was to guard Lena, so it shouldn't matter where she sat.

The grounds were already crowded when they arrived. Clark parked the car and helped Lena out. Lena ran on ahead.

"Lena," Clark called. "You're supposed to wait for us."

"C'mon Uncle Clark. They've got a Ferris Wheel and everything."

Lois chuckled at the childish enthusiasm. She had a feeling Lena was cooking up a little scheme to make sure that she and Clark would spend some time together. She wanted to tell her that they didn't need a matchmaker, but she was sure Lena wouldn't listen anyway.

Sure enough, Lena arranged things so Clark and Lois were sitting together on the Ferris Wheel, while Lena took the next seat with Mercy, who really wasn't happy.

Clark smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry. She means well."

"I think she's just caught up in the whole idea of it all," Lois answered.

"And what about you?" Clark said as the wheel slowly began to move.

"What about me?" she asked.

"Are you caught up in it?"

"I can handle my own," she told him.

"Really," he answered, leaning close to her.

"PDA, remember? Rule number one."

"And are there any other rules I should know about?"

"Hmm, well, that all depends on whether you can stick to them."

"I can if you can."

"Please. You gave me a hickey last night, which your niece so lovingly pointed out. I haven't had a hickey since I was a teenager making out with Wes Keenan in the base armoury. The general nearly shot him for that."

"Sorry," Clark said. "But how does that relate to Lois Lane's rules of dating?"

"Rule number two. No hickeys."

"Aw, you just made that up," he complained good-naturedly.

"No, no. Works right in with rule number one."

"Fine. I'll believe you."

Lois giggled. She loved teasing him, and by the expression on his face, he loved being teased.

The ride was over far too soon and Lena wanted to try out some of the games. Clark bought his niece a few tickets for the horseshoe game and they watched as Lena threw the horseshoes.

"You know these games are rigged, don't you?" Lois whispered to Clark. He snorted.

"You are such a cynic, Lane."

She watched as he bent down and guided Lena's hand on the next shot. A big beefy guy with tattoos down his arms came to stand by her while a boy a foot taller than Lena pushed her out of the way, making her miss her shot. Lena fell on her backside, wincing at the impact. Clark hugged her, comforting her.

"Hey!" Lois exclaimed.

The big tub of meat turned and looked her up and down. Or leered, might be a better term, she thought with a shudder.

"You got a problem, lady?"

"That your kid?"

"Yeah?"

"He just shoved her."

"So? Gonna make something of it, bitch?"

Lena was now glaring at the boy, who was just smirking back at her. Mercy approached the father and glowered at him.

"First," Mercy hissed, "you're going to apologise to the lady for the foul language. Then you're going to pay for the little girl to get another turn."

"Like hell I will," the man growled.

Clark had stood up and he was also facing the man, glaring angrily. Lois looked around, feeling uneasy. A crowd was watching them. Something smelled bad, and it wasn't the guy's body odour.

"Clark, let's just go find another game," she said. "I don't like this."

Clark frowned at her, then looked down at Lena, who was clinging to his hand.

"Yeah, Lois, I think you're right. Mercy ..."

Mercy had the man in an arm-lock and she was threatening to break his wrist. Fortunately a security guard had been called and took over. The game attendant beckoned them over.

"I'm real sorry," he said. He picked up a Panda and handed it to Lena. "Here. I bet you would have got it on the next try if that kid hadn't pushed you."

"Thanks. That's kind of you," Lois said.

Lena cuddled the soft toy and let them lead her away. Lois looked around for Mercy, but couldn't find her in the crowd. Something was really beginning to rankle. She grabbed Clark's hand, not wanting to lose sight of him. He glanced at her, but said nothing. He seemed to sense her anxiety.

"Lena, stay close," he said.

And suddenly it was as if all hell broke loose. There were sounds of small explosions and Lois was surrounded by green smoke.

She frowned. Green smoke?

Clark was coughing as the smoke drifted up. Lois looked around for the source of the smoke, but it was starting to sting her eyes. Lena was crying. The sound was getting further and further away. Lois' last thought as the blackness took her was why green?

Consciousness returned with an awareness that she wasn't anywhere near the fairground, along with an acute pounding in her head. Her eyes were blurred and watery and she rubbed them, sitting up.

"Lena? Clark?"

The little redhead was sleeping beside her on the floor. Lois scooped her into her arms, brushing the hair out of her face and checking her breathing. It looked like whatever had been in the smoke was just some kind of sleeping drug.

She turned her head and looked around. Where was Clark?

They were in a warehouse of some kind. Not the same warehouse where she and Clark had found the sweatshop three nights earlier. She could tell that from the filth on the floor. Peering through the dim light, she thought she saw a rat scurrying along the wall.

She held Lena closer, hoping to protect her from whatever else might be in here. Lena whimpered, and it appeared she was slowly coming to. She began to cry.

"Shh, shh Lena, it's okay. I'm here," she said, rocking her.

"Lois?"

"Yes, sweetie. It's me."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, baby."

Lena wrapped an arm around her neck and sat up, blinking rapidly.

"Where's Uncle Clark?"

"I wish I knew," Lois sighed.

"Oh, he's a little ... dead," came a chuckle from the shadows.

Lois scrambled to her feet, pulling Lena up with her. Lena was too heavy so Lois put her down and moved in front of her, shielding her from the stranger.

"How do you like your accommodations, Ms Lane?" the man chuckled.

Lois gasped as the man emerged from the shadows and showed her his face. He was wearing white make-up on his face, his eyes shadowed, making them stand out. He looked almost like a vaudeville caricature, only the effect was far more terrifying with the scars around his mouth. He'd used what could be red lipstick to outline the scars, in stark contrast with his face.

He was wearing a suit. But the most remarkable thing about the suit was that it was royal purple. Beneath the jacket he wore an olive green vest. A colour which would have naturally clashed with the purple, but he didn't seem to care at all.

Lena came out from behind her and stared at the man. Lois held out her hand, trying to stop Lena from moving closer.

The man bent down.

"Well, hello there, little girl. Aren't you precious?"

Lena made a small sound of fear and reached out for Lois' hand.

"What's the matter?" the man said. "You look a little nervous. Do my scars frighten you?"

Lena whimpered.

"You know, I had a little sister once. She looked a lot like you. She died. Pity."

He stood up, forcing Lois to move backwards.

"Want to know how I got these scars?" he asked gleefully.

"Not particularly," Lois told him.

The man grabbed her by the jaw and held up a knife, laying the flat of the blade on her cheek.

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. See, I had a mother. She was very beautiful, my mother. She was always telling me, why so serious?" Lois tried to turn her head away from him, away from the knife and he forced her to look at him. "Look at me!"

He continued. "So, my mother, she goes out one day, and there are these thugs, you see? And they beat her. And rape her. And they take a knife to her face. I grew up poor, you know. And we didn't have the money to fix her face. So she was sad all the time. She never smiled. So I decided to do something for her. I took a knife, and I did this," he said, sticking the knife in his mouth and mimed cutting his mouth open. Then he took the knife out and laid it flat against her cheek again. "You know what my mother did? She slit her wrists with a razor blade. And me? Well, I smile all the time now."

Lois knew she had to do something, despite her fear. He was completely unhinged and if she didn't get away from him, there was a good chance he'd hurt her or Lena. She glowered at him.

"You're insane," she said.

"Well, that's a matter of opinion. After all, what is one man's genius but another man's insanity? Don't you agree?"

"Get away from us, you freak!" she glared, shoving him and aiming a punch at him.

Still holding Lena's hand, she ran for the door at the far end of the warehouse. But he was on her, pulling her back by her hair, the knife at her throat.

"Aw, now don't you know it's rude to leave a party just when the fun is beginning?"

"What do you want?"

"World peace?" he chuckled. "No, no, I want more than that. I want Lex Luthor. His brother, well, I wouldn't worry so much about him. He's a little ... under-the-weather right now."

Lois's eyes widened. "What have you done to Clark?"

"Nothing you should worry your pretty little head about, my dear."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Maybe this will help enlighten you," he said.

He took a deck of cards out of his pocket.

"Pick a card. Any card," he said.

"What?"

"It's a magic trick. You like magic, don't you? Little girl?"

Lena cowered against Lois, who continued to stare at him, thinking quickly. What was he talking about? Cards? Then she realised.

"Oh my god! You're the Joker!"


	28. Danger

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Clark had seen the smoke but he hadn't reacted quickly enough. By the time he realised what was happening it was already too late. The smoke had spread, causing a wave of dizziness and nausea. Kryptonite, he thought. His limbs began to feel heavy. He fought against it, knowing he needed to protect Lois and Lena, but he was fast losing the battle.

"Lois," he whispered as he passed out.

He woke up feeling like he'd been hit by a truck. Or a locomotive. He ached all over, and the pain wasn't receding. The veins on his hands and arms were a mixture of black and green, bulging as if his blood was boiling. As he slowly began to take stock of his surroundings, he could see he was on the floor of a small room. And the source of his pain was fairly obvious. The walls glowed with it.

"Like it? I had it made special. Just for you little brother."

Lucas. With a groan, Clark sat up.

"What do you want from me, Lucas?"

Lucas looked as if Clark had said something offensive.

"Now who says I want anything from you, little brother?"

Clark looked his brother over and scowled.

"You're a liar! We know you're working with meteor rock."

Lucas chuckled. "Aww, you figured me out. Shame. I was hoping we could keep doing this dance a little while longer."

"You always were full of shit you psycho."

"I think you have me confused with the guy in the clown make-up."

"So you are working with the Joker. And let me guess," Clark said, waving his hand. "I have the Toyman to thank for this little home away from home."

"Seems you and Lane are a lot smarter than I gave you credit for, little brother. Tell me something, Clark. Have you fucked her yet? I bet she'd be a sweet piece."

"You stay the fuck away from her."

Lucas raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I always knew you were possessive about your toys. Why, I remember when I first came to Smallville, you weren't happy about sharing Lex."

"If you'd been the kind of brother Lex hoped you would be, then I wouldn't have been so concerned."

"You were jealous because I'd usurped your place. Face it, you loved being the spoilt younger brother!"

"Usurped? That's a big word for you, Lucas," Clark smirked.

"Fuck you, Clark!"

"No thanks! I don't swing that way."

Lucas growled and lashed out with his fist, smacking Clark hard on the temple. Clark had experienced pain before, but nothing like this. This was like the time he'd fallen into the pond at Metropolis Park when he was six. When it had been twenty-five degrees. He hadn't been as strong at six as he was now. Or as impervious.

Ignoring the pain, Clark smirked up at Lucas.

"You know what bugs you about me? It's the fact that Dad adopted me and ignored you completely. Left you rotting in the welfare system."

"We both know the real reason Dad adopted you. He wanted to experiment on you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Clark mumbled.

Lucas crouched down, smirking at him.

"Oh, come now, Clark, do you take me for an imbecile? We both know how 'special' you really are."

"Doesn't matter. Because I won't help you."

"Help me do what?"

"We know about the mutant army you're trying to create. Using Dad's research on the meteor rocks."

"Well, well, you really have been busy, haven't you?" Lucas stood up. "It's okay, Clark. We don't need your co-operation. Just your blood."

"And what do you want with Lois?"

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. "Lane? She's superfluous."

Clark stared at him. "Lena!"

"I want what the little brat can get me. Which is Lex."

"Why? Lex is no threat to you. He's shutting down all those projects at Luthorcorp."

"No, you don't get it, Clark. It's precisely because he's shutting down all those projects. Think of all that research, gone to waste."

"You want the research?"

"I want it continued. Luthorcorp should have been mine. Instead, the old man fucked me over for his first-born son. His ... favourite ... son."

The door opened and another man came in. He looked like one of the men from the sweatshop the other night.

"Boss."

Lucas smirked at Clark, then turned to go out the door.

"You know, with your powers, you and I could have done great things together. We could have made this world ours. But no. You had to be the hero. I wonder what Lois would think if she knew her boyfriend was The Blur?"

"You stay away from her!" Clark shouted, but Lucas had already gone, locking the door behind him.

Clark struggled to his feet, stumbling to the door, trying to break it down, but he was too weak. To his horror, the glowing seemed to increase in intensity. He was trapped. With a scream of agony he sank down to his knees, then fell on his side on the floor, holding his stomach as if that would stop the crippling pain.

Dazed and sick as he was, he could have kicked himself when he finally remembered the transmitter Bruce had left for him at Watchtower. He'd automatically put it in his ear that morning, not even thinking he would need it. But if there was one thing he'd learned about being the Blur, it was that things could change in a moment.

He felt for the tiny button to activate it, wincing at the momentary feedback. But what did he do now? Scream for help?

He found he didn't have to as the next moment he heard Chloe.

"Clark? Where are you?"

"I'm not sure," he said.

"Jesus Clark, you've all been missing for two hours! Lex is going out of his mind and Oliver and Bruce are both out looking for you."

"Two hours? Jesus Chloe, they could have done anything to Lois and Lena."

"They're not with you?"

"No, I don't know where they are."

"Shit! Hang on. I'm getting a location on you and I'm transmitting it to Bruce and Oliver. What happened?"

"I don't know. All I remember is the Kryptonite gas."

"Yeah, we figured it was Kryptonite when witnesses told the cops they saw green smoke. Pretty bold moves, doing it out in the open like that. And they took a chance with the gas in the open air."

"I think they may have thrown the gas bombs right at us. I guess that's how they managed to expose us without too much of it getting into the open air. How did ..."

"Mercy. She figured the guy was a distraction right after she heard screams. She tried to get there in time but only saw you being carted off on a stretcher by medics. At least they looked like medics. I don't think she knows about your powers."

"No, I don't think so either, but Lucas sure as hell does."

"Are you saying Lucas was behind this? Bruce said it was the Joker."

"Wait! How did he know that?"

"The Joker left a calling card. So it sounds like Lucas and the Joker are working together."

"Along with the Toyman," Clark sighed. "They've rigged up some kind of room with Kryptonite in the walls and they can increase the intensity at will. My guess is they're using some kind of electrical current."

"Can you see a source?" Chloe asked.

Clark sat up with an effort and looked around. "Not really," he said. "But it's kind of hard for me to tell. I'm not feeling so good."

"Okay, okay, don't panic. Bruce will be there in a few minutes. He just signalled that he's close by."

Clark wasn't going to wait for Bruce. Not if there was a chance that Lois and Lena were being hurt. Damn Lucas and his psychotic plans. He wasn't going to allow people he loved to be hurt.

Steeling himself, Clark got to his feet, fighting the wave of dizziness, and began looking around the walls. He narrowed his focus, hoping to activate his x-ray vision or his micro-vision, but neither worked. He was too weak. And whatever drug they had used in the gas was not completely out of his system.

"Clark?"

"Chloe?"

"I've pulled up the schematics of the building."

"Wait, how did you ... never mind, I don't think I want to know."

"Yeah. Um, can you give me a rough estimation of the size of the room you're in? Can you see a window?"

"No, the room is completely enclosed. It's about nine square metres. Three by three."

Chloe was quiet for a few seconds.

"Hmm, it looks like a room on the west side. I can't see anything that might show me what they're using to power the Kryptonite."

"I doubt that would show on the schematics, Chloe."

"No, you're right, you're right."

"How did you get the schematics anyway?"

"I thought you didn't want to know?"

"Just curious."

"I have ways of getting into any computer system."

"You've upskilled."

"Yup. Hang on." Clark waited. Then Chloe came back. "Bruce is about a minute away. Scratch that, he's probably on the roof right now."

Clark heard the distinctive sound of yelps and gasps and guessed that Bruce, or rather Batman, had arrived. So much for getting out on his own, he thought.

There were thuds and loud crashes, then the intensity of the Kryptonite increased even more. Clark doubled over, yelping in pain.

The door opened with a crash and Clark managed to look up as strong arms helped him up.

"You all right?" Bruce asked, his voice a rasp.

"Just get me out of here," he said.

Clark had to admit that as Batman, Bruce cut an imposing figure. It was little wonder the members of the Gotham underworld were terrified of him.

Clark stumbled out, leaning on Bruce for support. Relief was immediate as soon as they were clear of the Kryptonite.

"Where's Lucas?" he asked.

"No idea," Bruce told him. "I don't see the Joker either. But there is someone we should talk to."

Clark looked in the direction of Bruce's gaze. A stocky man of average height, with shoulder-length brown hair was practically chortling with glee. He wore blue-tinted wire-rimmed glasses.

"Toyman, I presume," he said, grabbing the man by his collar and lifting him, despite the weakness still in his limbs.

"At your service."

"Where is the Joker?" Clark growled.

"Oh, but that's not how the game is played. You can't play the game if you don't know the rules."

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Schott. Tell me where he is or so help me I will rip your head off."

Schott looked nervous. Clark wrapped a big hand around the man's throat and squeezed. But as much as he wanted to kill the man, he knew Lois would never forgive him.

Bruce, meanwhile, was interrogating another of Lucas' men, using a modified version of a Tazer. It appeared to have less current than the standard issue, but was still powerful enough to give them a good jolt.

Clark knocked Schott out with a sharp slap to the forehead. The Toyman dropped like a stone.

Bruce turned to him and shook his head at Clark's questioning look. He touched the communicator in his ear.

"Watchtower, see what you can dig up on Marionette Ventures. Particularly property."

Clark heard Chloe's voice in his ear. "On it." He tuned her out, listening with his super-hearing, trying to filter out all the sounds of the city. All the cries for help. His powers were still coming back online and he couldn't focus.

"I can't hear them," he said in dismay.

"Give it time," Bruce advised.

"We don't have time," Clark said, his anxiety rising. "Lucas and the Joker could be hurting them right now."

"Watchtower, see if you can bring up any camera footage. Try Wayne Enterprises satellites."

"You might want to try Queen Industries ones as well."

Clark turned and looked at Oliver in full Green Arrow garb. Oliver patted his shoulder and he nodded.

Chloe came back online. "I have an image of a vehicle leaving from behind the building less than fifteen minutes ago. I'm seeing if I can render an image from a number of sources to get a licence plate." Clark held his breath, waiting.

Come on, Chloe, he thought.

"Okay, got it. And the car is registered to: Marionette Ventures."

"See if you can track the car," Bruce told her.

"Already with you, Batman. The car was caught on camera not less than two minutes ago heading south down Grand. Oh my god! There's an abandoned warehouse not two blocks from that location! They've just called in the fire department."

Oliver looked at Clark, an expression of horror on his face.

"Go! Go, go, go!"

Clark didn't hesitate. He ran out of the building and launched himself into the air, quickly getting his bearings. It wasn't difficult to spot the fire from his vantage point. Clark flew toward the black smoke, hoping he was in time.

Descending swiftly, he flew into the warehouse. This time, his hearing picked up on the terrified cries of his niece. Lois was bravely trying to keep the girl from panicking, but she was coughing from the smoke. Clark knew he only had seconds before they both suffocated from smoke inhalation.

Sure enough, Lois was already on the verge of passing out, Lena in her arms. Clark caught both of them up, flying them out of the building and placing them gently on the ground well away from the flames engulfing the old warehouse. He brushed the curls away from Lois' soot blackened face. Lois began coughing as she came to.

Looking up, Clark saw men from the fire department approaching and he took off again, following the route along Grand Avenue, searching.

"Watchtower," he said, "give me a description of the car."

"Did you get them out?"

"They're safe. The fire department guys are looking after them."

"The vehicle you're looking for is a Chevy Impala sedan, Lowell County plates, 674 Echo Bravo Tango."

It didn't take long for Clark to spot the car. It was heading back in the direction he'd flown from, which meant if Lucas was in the car it was returning to the building.

"Batman, do you read?" Clark asked.

"Loud and clear."

"The car is heading south on Grand and will be on your six in approximately ten minutes."

"Copy. Green Arrow. Get above and take out the tyres."

"I copy you, Batman."

Clark watched the progress from the air as Oliver used a steel-tipped arrow to puncture the tyre. The car skidded to a halt and two men got out, running into the middle of Saturday afternoon traffic. Batman swooped down and Clark followed. Horns beeped and drivers yelled – some in shock, others in anger. The two men were quickly rounded up. They literally shook as Batman faced them.

"Where is the Joker?" Bruce growled.

"We swear, we don't know what you're talking about," one of the men said.

"You're lying," Oliver said, his voice disguised by a modulator.

"No, no, please Mister Green Arrow. We swear. This guy stopped our car on the highway, gave us money and this car, and told us to drive back along Grand."

"What did the guy look like?" Clark asked.

"Um, skinny guy, about ... about 5, um, 5-10, dark eyes, dark hair."

"Was there anyone else with him?"

The second guy shook his head. "No sirs. Not that we could see."

The two men were too terrified to be lying. Clark growled low in his throat. Dead end. Damn it!

Bruce got the licence plate of the second car from the two men and asked Chloe to track it. But Clark had been right the first time. The car had vanished into thin air, along with Lucas and the Joker. The Toyman, or someone had alerted Lucas to Batman's arrival.

Dejected, they made their way to Watchtower. Chloe greeted them, hugging Bruce.

"Clark!"

Clark turned and saw his brother, his face pinched with worry. Lex hugged him. Clark was a little taken aback. They had never been the most demonstrative of families. Of course, that had changed with Lena, but they still didn't hug or show much affection with each other.

"Thank God you're okay," Lex said, smiling up at him. "You had me worried there for a while, little brother."

"I'll live. I'm more worried about Lena and Lois."

"I just called Met Gen. They're being treated for smoke inhalation but they're otherwise fine. I was just about to head over there, but I wanted to make sure you were okay first."

"I'll go with you," Clark told him. Lex nodded in agreement.

"We'll need to debrief later," Bruce told him.

"Fine. I just want to make sure they're okay," Clark answered. "I'll be back." Before he stepped out the door, he looked at Chloe and Bruce. "Thanks. I owe you guys my life."

The staff at Met Gen told Lex and Clark that the girls were fine but were going to be kept overnight for observation. Lena had refused to be separated from Lois when it had come time to be taken to a room, despite the nurses wanting to move her to the children's floor and since the Luthors had donated quite a bit of money to the hospital's charities over the years, they had made an exception.

Lois was sitting up in bed watching the news on television when they came in. Lena was sleeping curled in her arms. Lois' eyes widened when she saw Clark. He went to her and put his arms around her, hugging her carefully so as not to disturb Lena.

"Oh god, Clark, I didn't know what happened. I called Ollie as soon as they let me and they told me you were on your way here. Where were you?"

Clark glanced quickly up at Lex, who was standing at the end of the bed

"It was Lucas. He had me."

"Oh god, and the Joker had me. They said Batman and Green Arrow were seen chasing someone, but I'm sure it was The Blur who saved us from the fire."

"I'm very glad he did. Batman and Green Arrow found me," he said, figuring he could at least tell her that.

"Lucas didn't do anything, did he?" she asked.

Clark shook his head, hating to lie about that part. But Lois would have looked for a bruise and be curious when she found none.

Lena must have heard their voices as she stirred and sat up. She stared at her uncle, then gasped when she saw her father, holding out her arms for him. He scooped her up and she burst into tears.

"Daddy!" she sobbed. "I was so scared!"

"I know, baby. I'm here," he said, soothing her.

"That mean man was going to hurt me and Lois but Lois was so brave. She didn't cry or anything."

Lex nodded. "Lois is very brave," he confirmed.

"I wish I had a mommy like Lois," Lena sniffed. Clark saw Lex's startled glance, but he just continued to pat his daughter's back until her sobs became sniffles, then stopped altogether.

"Tell you what. Why don't we take a little walk down to the cafeteria and we'll see if we can get you some milk and cookies."

Lena nodded, wrapping her little arms around her father's neck. He lifted her up and carried her out of the room.

Clark turned back to Lois. "So, you didn't cry, huh?"

"Not a tear," she said.

"That's good to know."

"I won't deny that I was scared though. I just tried not to show it in front of Lena."

Clark nodded, unconsciously rubbing her hand as he held it. It had been the wisest thing in the long run. It would have kept Lena from panicking too much and, faced with a lunatic like the Joker, any sign of panic could have caused him to do something drastic.

"Did Batman catch him?" Lois asked.

"I don't think so."

"So he's still out there?" Lois said, shifting in the bed.

Lex had told Clark in the car that he was putting on even more security. He was going to hire a security company to watch them twenty-four seven. Clark hesitated about telling Lois this, knowing she'd balk at it.

"Batman will find him," Clark assured her, with more confidence than he felt.

"You wouldn't be keeping something from me, would you, Clark?"

"About what?"

"Like, I don't know, the extra security presence in the hospital. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"The Joker tried to kill you Lois. He just wants you and Lena to be safe."

"I wonder why the Joker did that," Lois mused. "He just locked us in that room and left us there, then started the fire."

"I don't know. Maybe he and Lucas heard that Batman was looking for him and decided to cut their losses."

"There's something not right about all this. From what I've read about the Joker, he has no rhyme or reason for anything he does. I mean, I read this interview with Commissioner Gordon. You know, after the whole Harvey Dent thing. And I don't believe Batman killed Harvey Dent, by the way. That was a whitewash if ever I saw one. I mean, I've heard of guys, cops I mean, saying Dent became unhinged after an explosion practically ripped half his face off."

"Lois," Clark said. "Getting back to the Commissioner's interview."

"Oh, yeah. Anyway, they were asking him about the Joker, who was in Arkham at the time, and he said that there are some guys who do it for kicks. Others do it for money. But the Joker, he just does it because he can. Because he likes it." She heaved a sigh. "Imagine a whole army of guys like the Joker out there."

Clark shuddered. If Lucas had planned what Clark thought he was planning, the idea might not be so far-fetched. It was a sobering thought.

Lex returned with Lena a short time later. Clark kissed his niece goodnight and helped Lex settle her into the bed next to Lois'. Then he did the same with Lois, who grumbled sleepily that she could tuck herself into bed. Clark grinned as he left, relieved that Lois was going to be okay.

Lex was silent on the way home in the car.

"You have to tell her," he said. "Lois is going to find out eventually that you're The Blur, especially after what happened today. It's not fair to keep her in the dark now. Not now."

"I know, Lex. And I will tell her. I just ... I don't know how."

He sighed and stared out the window at the passing buildings. How was a very good question.


	29. Stay

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lois spent mostly a sleepless night in the hospital. She hated the uncomfortable, narrow beds and the nurse coming in every couple of hours or so to check her obs. The stuffiness of the room gave her a pounding headache and the discomfort was making things worse.

Lena had crawled into bed with her shortly after midnight when she woke from a nightmare. Lois held the little girl in her arms, rubbing her back to soothe her. Lena had obviously never been away from home before and the fact that she was unsettled after the kidnapping had a lot to do with it.

The nurse had tried to get Lena back into her own bed, but Lois firmly told the woman no. Lena needed her and she wasn't going to deny the girl some comfort.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping child, Lois switched on the overhead lamp and grabbed a notebook and pen she'd begged off one of the night staff. She began to write notes on the things she'd learned since she'd begun investigating Marionette Ventures.

Number one was the Toyman. He clearly was some kind of genius, if a little unhinged. She wrote his name on the paper, then drew a box around the name, then an arrow. Next was Lucas Luthor, or rather Dunleavy. She wrote the name, and added a border. Beside that, she drew an arrow to Clark and Lex. There was a bigger connection than the fact that they were brothers.

Another offshoot of that was Lionel. Again, there was more than just the filial connection between Lucas and Lionel. And she was sure it had something to do with Luthorcorp. Another arrow led to a box and the word 'murder'. Was Lionel's murder connected to what Lucas was doing or was it because of Morgan Edge and the murder of Lionel's parents.

Patricide clearly was nothing unusual where the Luthors were concerned. At least where Lucas and Lionel were concerned. Clark and Lex were another matter entirely. Judging from what she had learned about Lillian from Clark, Lex was more like his mother than his father. Sure, he had an edge to him that Lionel had probably taught him, but the fact that he had sacrificed so much to keep his daughter safe said a lot about his strength of character.

Clark's memories of his father's abuse had been a contributing factor in Clark's decision to turn away from Lionel. But was there more than that? And why would Lucas be so interested in Clark?

Lena whimpered, sounding as if she was having another nightmare, and Lois rubbed her back absently until the child quieted. She chewed on the end of the pen, deep in thought.

Lois went back to her notes. She was missing something. Something extremely important. And it had everything to do with Clark. She was certain of that.

Factor in the Blur, she thought. Lucas was interested in people with meteor mutations. But from what Chloe had told her, those mutations resulted in one ability, or possibly two in Lex's case. He had a high-functioning immunity system, which meant he never got sick. And a faster than normal healing ability. Or maybe the two were connected. Lois was no medical expert, but it did seem possible, even logical. After all, the body's ability to heal was linked to its ability to stave off infections.

She had considered this before, but was it really possible that the Blur was more than that. Maybe he wasn't even from around here.

Lois went back to look at her notes, scribbling some more.

Lucas=meteor mutants=The Blur? she wrote.

But then, why Clark? If Lucas was only interested in Lex and Luthorcorp, then why separate Clark from her and Lena. Anyone at that fair would have seen the three of them together, so there was no rhyme or reason for it.

And normally the Blur would have been blurring in to her rescue, so to speak, before things got out of hand. It had happened at least twice now in the last week. So what had taken him so long? Okay, Lois thought, maybe she was selfish in thinking that the Blur was her own personal saviour. Of course he would have other emergencies needing his time. But she knew how close she and Lena had both come to dying. Another minute or so and they would have both had it.

The Blur had already told her he could hear everything that went on in the city. So it stood to reason that he would have heard Lena's cries of panic. Even if he had been occupied with another emergency. And Lena had been crying for a lot longer than a few minutes. The Joker had been gone for at least ten minutes before the fire had taken hold. And Lois had wasted much of that trying to figure a way out of that locked room.

So where did that leave her in the magical mystery tour into the Blur?

Lois put pen to paper again, her addled brain trying to sift through the pieces of clues she had about the Blur. First, there was the brief conversation they'd had, where the Blur had warned her against going up against Lucas. Shortly after she'd had a similar conversation with Clark. And she didn't buy that excuse about him 'hearing everything'.

Second, Lucas had separated her and Clark. Lucas was interested in people with meteor abilities. Did that mean Clark had abilities?

Third, Clark had been rescued by Batman and Green Arrow. While she'd been watching the news, there had been a brief item about two men being chased by Batman and Green Arrow, plus a third man around the same time she was being treated by the medics at the warehouse. The timing was just too much of a coincidence.

She scribbled once more, yawning, then put the notebook on the side table. Her last entry had a huge border around it, which she'd drawn over several times.

Clark=The Blur?

Clark and Lex turned up shortly after breakfast. Lena immediately ran to her father, asking to be picked up. It seemed like the little girl wanted to be babied, but Lois couldn't blame her.

Clark was peering at her, which made her a little uncomfortable.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep much."

Lois shook her head. "Not really. These beds are so uncomfortable."

Lex looked up from the chair on the other side of the room where he was holding Lena on his lap.

"We talked to the doctor. He said you can leave whenever you're ready."

Lois sighed heavily. "Thank God," she said, scrambling out of bed. "I don't want to stay here another minute." Holding her gown closed at the back, she grabbed the bag of clothes Clark handed to her, knowing he'd let himself in to her place. The clothes she'd worn the day before were needing to be laundered anyway, she thought. She went to the bathroom and changed quickly.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Clark was right. She looked like hell.

She returned to the room to find Lex helping Lena into some fresh clothes as well. He looked up at her as Lena stood quietly while he buttoned her jeans.

"Clark's gone to get the discharge papers."

"Great, thanks," she said. She went to the side table and pulled open the drawer, glad she'd thought to put the notepad in there, out of sight.

"What's that?" Lex asked.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep last night, and Lena kept having nightmares. So I figured I'd just make some notes on the story."

"Yeah, about that," Lex said. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to keep working on it. That's three times in a week you've cheated death."

"I really don't think we should discuss that here," she said, not wanting to get into an argument in Lena's presence. She knew it was going to be a doozy. Lex had been badly frightened by what had almost happened to his daughter, and to her; not that he would ever admit to something that unmanly.

Clark returned just then.

"Okay, you're all checked out. Let's get you guys home."

"We'll go to my place first," Lex said. "I think we need to have a talk. Like rational adults."

Lois saw Clark frown at his brother, but he said nothing. Lena begged her father to pick her up so he could carry her out, but he protested she was too heavy. Clark grinned, turning and holding his arms out behind his back.

"Come on squirt, I'll carry you piggy back."

"Yay!" she squealed.

Lois followed them out, biting her lip. Lex had brought the BMW he favoured driving when Lena was in the car.

"Ooh, can I sit in front with Daddy?" Lena asked.

"Sorry kiddo," Clark told her. "Squirts sit in the back."

Lois grinned. Clark's long legs would be squashed in the back.

Lena pouted, but nodded, letting him buckle her into the booster seat in the back. Lois winked at her as she got in the back beside her.

"At least you'll have me to keep you company," she said.

"Seat belts," Lena sang out to her father and uncle, acting like she was the boss in the car. Which probably wasn't too far from the truth, Lois decided.

"Yeah, yeah," Lex grumbled. "Bossy boots." He turned and grinned at his daughter as he pulled on his seatbelt and snapped it in place.

They hadn't gone very far before Lena leaned forward in her seat.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Can we go to McDonalds?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's bad for you. I bet Mrs Hendricks has baked some cookies for you. Cookies are better than McDonalds."

"But I don't want cookies," Lena pouted.

"Lena, young ladies don't pout."

"I'm seven. I'm not a young lady." Lois glanced at Lena. The little girl's face had a stubborn set to it, and Lois wondered if she was working herself up to a full-on tantrum.

It wasn't surprising, really, after the ordeal the day before. Lena had been so well protected that Lois was sure nothing like this had ever happened to her and now it was all catching up to her.

Lena kicked out, just catching the back of Clark's seat. Clark turned and looked at her.

"Lena, don't kick the seat."

"I want McDonalds," Lena said, still pouting.

"What you'll get is a time out in your room young lady," Lex told her, "if you don't stop this nonsense right now."

Lena burst into tears, telling her father she hated him because he was so mean to her. Lois bit her lip. She didn't know what to do, watching the child sobbing. Clark must have sensed her distress, turning his head to look at her and he just shook his head. Lois figured it was best to just let her cry it out.

Lena was still crying her little heart out when Lex pulled into the garage at the house. Lois got out of the car, pausing, but Lex came around to Lena's side and lifted her out, letting her cry on his shoulder. She followed the men into the house.

Sure enough the housekeeper had baked cookies. They were still warm on the plate on the counter. Lois saw a woman in her late fifties emptying the dishwasher in the kitchen. She was a slim, attractive woman with a kind face.

"Mrs H," Clark said, "this is Lois."

"Hello Lois. I heard about what happened. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Thank you," she said, glancing back to the other room where Lex was soothing his daughter, rocking her and patting her back, talking quietly. Lois glanced at Clark. "Is Lena okay? I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do."

"She's fine. I think everything just caught up with her. Lex has got it."

"It must be really tough on him sometimes," Lois said in sympathy. "Raising her on his own."

Clark nodded, watching his brother.

"Yeah, it has been tough, but Lex just wants to make sure she's protected. That's why he doesn't date. I mean, most of the women he dated in the past only went out with him for his money, and his first wife tried to kill him for the money."

"That's so awful," Lois said. "Lex has a lot more to offer than money."

Clark shrugged. "Price of being a Luthor. Don't get me wrong. I took full advantage of it when I was a teenager. Hell, I liked the idea of being chased for my money, as well as my looks."

"Gee, ego much?" Lois said dryly.

Clark laughed.

Lex came in, holding Lena's hand. Her little face was red from crying, but she looked better.

"What do you say, Lena?" he asked quietly.

Lena let go of her father's hand and went to her uncle, who crouched down.

"I'm sorry I kicked your seat Uncle Clark," she said softly.

He hugged her. "It's okay, squirt."

Lex touched his daughter's shoulder. "What do you have to say to Lois?"

Lois bent down to the girl's level as Lena approached her.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Lena said.

Lois hugged her. "Oh sweetie, that's okay."

Lena turned back to her father.

"Can I have a cookie now? Please?"

"Yes, you may," he said. "And a glass of chocolate milk. And when you've finished that, I want you to go have a nap for a while, okay?"

Lena nodded, yawning. "Thank you Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too baby. Now, come on, up to the counter," he said, lifting her up to the stool. The housekeeper had already set a cookie on a plate and poured a glass of milk, leaving them waiting for Lena.

Mrs Hendricks had also made coffee for them all and they took their cups into the living room.

"Sorry about all that," Lex said. "Lena gets a little cranky when she's upset or tired. Or both."

Lois shook her head. "I understand. Yesterday would be too much for anyone. Including me."

"Speaking of that ..."

"Lex, I know what you're going to say, but this story is too important for me to drop."

"Lois, you were almost killed yesterday," Lex said quietly.

Clark looked deep in thought as he sipped his coffee.

"You know, what I'd like to know is, how did they know we would be there? I mean, the Joker obviously had it planned. This wasn't a random thing. It would have taken some planning. Especially with the gas bombs and the fake medics."

"Not to mention that jerk with the kid who pushed Lena."

Lex frowned. "Yeah, I'd like to know how Mercy managed to get so distracted that she wasn't protecting you guys when you were taken."

"I doubt it would have made much difference if Mercy had been there, Lex," Clark said. "She'd have been gassed too. Or worse. She might have been killed."

"But someone had to know that I hired Mercy. It makes me wonder if there is someone at the Planet who is feeding them information. And once I find out who it is, they can consider themselves out of a job."

Lois wondered about that herself. There weren't many in their circle who knew and she was sure neither Perry nor Tess would have told anyone else.

"So what do we do now?" Clark asked. "Obviously the Joker needs to be found before he tries something else. And Lucas."

"I think we need to check out that place Lucas was holding you," Lois told him.

Lex shook his head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? There have to have been some clues left behind."

But Lex was adamant. Which made Lois wonder what they were trying to hide from her. She vowed she was going to do some research on her own and see what she could dig up. In spite of Lex and Clark's objections. And she had every reason to want to do this on her own. If what she was beginning to suspect was true, the last place Clark would want her to be was there.

She sighed. It wasn't going to be easy, that's for sure. Clark and Lex were into full-on protection mode and giving them the slip was going to be a mission.

"What about Morgan Edge?" Lois asked, changing the subject.

"What about him?" Lex asked.

"Well, where was he during all this brouhaha yesterday? I mean, if Lucas is working for him ..."

Clark shook his head.

"I guess we'll have to assume that Edge is staying in the background. And we have no proof that he's behind this."

"What about that memo?" Lois asked Clark.

"Sure that implies a connection, but it's not giving us proof. Nothing that will stand up in a court of law."

"Well, don't you think that's where we should go next? Try to prove the connection between Edge and Lucas?"

Clark looked at her. "No, Lois. I'm not going to let you do it."

"Do what?" Lex asked.

"Go undercover at the Windgate Club. Or Atlantis."

Lex looked at her. "Oh, hell no."

"I am the only one who can get behind the scenes at the club," she reminded the brothers. "Your face is too well known for you to be a bouncer. But no one would think twice if you went to the club to check out the strippers." She smirked at him. "Of course, keep in mind that the only girl you get to feast those babies on is me."

Clark coughed. "Noted," he said. He turned to Lex. "I hate to say it, but she's got a point. The only way we're going to find anything is to walk into the viper's nest."

Lex sighed.

"Fine," he said, his reluctance clear. "Check out this club. But Lois, you use some sort of disguise. I don't want Lucas recognising you if he happens to stop by."

Lena came in, having finished her cookies and milk and went to her father, crawling up onto his chair.

"Lena, why aren't you taking a nap like I suggested?" he asked softly.

"Want to stay with you Daddy."

Lex pulled her onto his lap and cuddled her. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I don't want the bad man to get me while I'm sleeping."

Lois felt her heart break for the little girl. She should never have been caught up in this.

"She had nightmares last night," she told Lex.

Lex sighed, holding his daughter close.

"Daddy's not going to let anything happen to you, Lena. I promise."

Feeling reassured, Lena closed her eyes. Lex looked down at his daughter with a tender expression, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"See Lex," Lois said quietly. "We have to finish this. For her."

Lex nodded slowly, still watching his daughter as she fell asleep in his arms.

Lois yawned, the events of the day before and the lack of sleep finally catching up with her. Clark noticed the yawn.

"I should get you home," he said. "You're exhausted."

Lois let him drive her home. Lex had apparently sent someone to pick up Clark's car from the grounds. He parked the car on the road and looked at her.

"Do you want me to walk you to your door?"

Lois hesitated. She wanted more than that, but the point was, was she ready to take that step? The last couple of days with him had been amazing and scary and she had come close to buying the farm. She knew how she felt about him and she didn't want to waste another minute.

"Would you stay with me?" she asked. "I mean ... you know, just for a little ... I ... I don't want to be alone."

Clark looked at her, then smiled gently.

"Sure. I'll stay as long as you need me."

Lois glanced behind her as she walked to her door, making sure he was there. Even if it was only a few metres, she felt reassured that he was following. Clark took her key from his key ring and opened the door. Lois' belongings had been destroyed in the fire at the warehouse, along with her keys.

"Do you want me to make you something to drink?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"I just need to sleep," she answered.

"I can stay out here, then."

"Clark, you don't have to stay out here."

He frowned. "Lois ..."

She went to him, her hands on his chest as she looked up at him.

"Clark, I nearly died yesterday. I know that's been said a few times already today, but it's the truth. And I ... I need you to know, I ... I can't ... I don't know what I'm trying to say. I just ... no one's ever made me feel safe like you do." She grinned and averted her eyes. "No one else has ever driven me crazy like you do. And I didn't want to let another minute go by without telling you that."

Clark seemed lost for words. He stared at her, lips parted, like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Clark, I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but I guess, almost dying, just gave me more clarity. I mean, I've spent the last, well, five years at least, trying to build my career, and, you know, having a career and being on top of your game is great, but I always felt there was something missing and I know, I know, I'm rambling, but I hate uncomfortable silences. I always have. I guess it comes back to, you know, the silences at the dinner table, because my dad was never much of a talker, and we didn't really have a lot of conversations at the dinner table ..."

Clark, meanwhile was trying to speak. He put a hand over her mouth to silence her.

"Do you ever stop talking?" he asked with a grin. She grinned back.

"Nope."

He kissed her, his tongue parting her lips, tasting her. Lois put her arms around his neck, pulling him close. The kiss deepened, becoming more passionate. Lois moaned softly, her body begging for more.

Somehow they ended up in the bedroom. Clark pushed her down on the bed, still kissing her, and he lay on top of her, his hands slowly exploring her body. Lois reached for the hem of her top and she pulled it over her head. Clark sat up, looking her over.

"Lois! Why didn't you tell me?"

She frowned at him. "Tell you what?"

"You have massive bruises all over you. What did that maniac do to you?"

Lois glanced down, having forgotten about the bruises. Her torso was a mottled mix of black and blue. When the Joker had tried to get to Lena, Lois had fought him off. Clearly the psychotic criminal had no qualms about hitting women.

"I forgot," she said. "Clark, it's okay, they don't hurt that much."

Clark moved away from her. "We are not doing this," he said. "You're hurt."

"No, Clark, please, I want to."

He was going to leave. Lois couldn't have that. She sat up, wondering what to do to make him stay. To her surprise, Clark was kicking off his shoes and taking off his pants and shirt.

"What are you ..."

"You need rest and I'm going to make sure that you do," he said. He came back to the bed and knelt over her, unbuttoning her jeans and pulling them down gently. Then he shifted on the bed, pulling back the bedclothes. "Come on," he said. "Get in."

"Yes sir," she said, a giggle bubbling up.

"You got a smart mouth, Lane."

"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked as she got under the covers and watched as he lay beside her.

"Hmm, I think I'll just have to kiss it out of you," he said, doing just that.

Lois moved so they were laying close together and took his hand, linking her fingers with his. Then she rolled over, spooning against him.

"Don't give me ideas, Lane," he growled softly. Lois giggled again. "Stop giggling and go to sleep."

"Yes sir," she said again. He squeezed her torso lightly, then pressed closer to her. Lois fell asleep with his warm breath blowing gently over her.


	30. Nightmares

Chapter Thirty

Clark hadn't meant to sleep. He'd only meant to stay long enough to ensure that Lois was getting the rest she needed. But he woke an hour later to find Lois was still sound asleep, breathing deeply and peacefully.

Careful not to wake her, Clark got out of bed and grabbed his pants, pulling them on. He picked up his shirt and started to put that on as he left the bedroom. He went out to empty the coffee pot and he rinsed it out, refilling it with cold water and changed the filter.

He checked his phone. There were text messages from Bruce. When they'd left the hospital the night before, they'd gone back to Watchtower and Clark had told Bruce everything he knew and everything he'd learned from Lois.

Bruce was now checking with his Gotham contacts to see what he could find out about the Joker's current whereabouts. Chloe was also searching every database she could find to come up with more properties owned by Marionette Ventures. Oliver, meanwhile, was calling in some old friends to help him patrol the city and protect the family.

Clark had also asked Oliver to have their friends look in on Jonathan and Martha Kent. Not that they were in any immediate danger, that Clark could determine, but if anyone knew of the tenuous link between Lois and the older couple, he wanted to be sure that they were safe.

The phone rang and Clark quickly picked it up, hoping it hadn't woken Lois.

"Hello?"

"Clark? Is that you? It's Martha."

The very person he'd been thinking of.

"Mrs Kent," he said.

"It's Martha," she confirmed. "Is Lois around?"

"She's sleeping. She had a bad night."

"Oh, then don't wake her. We just wanted to make sure she was okay. We heard about what happened."

The story had been all over the media. Even the Planet had run a story in the late night edition.

"Yeah, Lois is fine. A little banged up, but you know Lois."

"I do," Martha chuckled. "I don't know Sam Lane very well, but I would say Lois gets her stubborn streak from her father. And how are you and Lena? Are you both okay?"

"I'm fine. I was a little banged up as well, but I'm okay. And Lena's going to be all right in a day or two. She got a bit of a fright and I think it's going to take a couple of days for her to calm down."

"Be sure to tell your brother to bring her by and visit when she feels up to it."

"I will. Uh, Martha, I ... look, I don't want you to be too alarmed if you happen to notice some people hanging around."

"Like who, Clark?"

"Some friends of mine. Actually, they're friends of, uh, Green Arrow. I can't explain how I know him, but I asked him to ask his friends to watch over you."

"You think the person who attacked Lois, this Joker character, could attack Jonathan and I?"

"I hope not," Clark said, "but I asked for my own peace of mind. You both mean a lot to Lois and after what happened yesterday ..."

"I understand, Clark. It shows that you care. Listen, take care of yourself and Lois. Don't go doing anything that will put you both in danger. At least not until this maniac is caught."

Clark chewed on his lip. There was no way he was going to tell Martha about the undercover investigation. No way in hell.

"I promise I will do my best," he said.

"Give Lois our love," she said before ringing off.

Clark was at a loose end after hanging up and he didn't want to leave. Not when Lois was feeling so ill at ease. He spotted the bag she'd put her clothes in from the day before and picked it up, intending to put the clothes out for laundering. There was a notebook in the bag as well and he took it out.

Lois had been making notes on what she knew so far. As Clark read, he grew more and more concerned. Lois knew he was the Blur!

As he looked at the notes, and the deductions she'd made, he could see that she'd followed a very logical path. And it seemed he hadn't hid things as well as he'd thought. Especially if it had led Lois to that conclusion.

The question was, did he call her on it? Did he admit to it? Even Lex had told him he needed to tell Lois the truth about himself. But he wasn't sure he was ready to admit it. He wasn't sure how she'd react. He'd never told anyone. Those that did know were either family or had found out by accident.

Just as he decided he would call Lex and talk to him about it, the bedroom door began to open. Using his superspeed, Clark put the notebook in the bag and back where he'd found it, then returned to the kitchen, just in time for Lois to emerge from the bedroom.

"Hey," he said, looking up. "I just made some fresh coffee. Want some?"

Lois nodded. "Thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess," she said, scratching her head. "Um, who was on the phone?"

Clark frowned at her. "When?"

"A few minutes ago. I heard you talking."

"Oh, that was Martha. She heard what had happened and wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't want to wake you."

Lois took the cup of coffee he handed her and walked away, sipping thoughtfully.

"Um, about before," she said. "What I said ..."

"Lois, you don't have to say anything."

"But, I ... Oh god, why is this so awkward?" she sighed.

Clark put his hands on her shoulders and coaxed her to look at him.

"Lois, nothing's going to change the way I feel about you. The way we feel about each other. And as for what almost happened between us, well, that might have been a pattern in my past, but I'm not going to do that with you. When it does happen between us, it will happen because it's right. I won't deny that I want you. Hell, I want you so bad you're killing me here, Lane. But sexual urges aside, it isn't fair on either of us if we go into this without knowing what we're getting into. Because I don't want just another one night stand with you. I want forever. And if that's not what you want, then I ..."

"Clark, I ... I want that too. I'm just ..."

"Lois," he said gently. "You're tired and you're overwrought, which isn't surprising after what happened yesterday. You need time to process the last couple of days."

Lois canted her head. "How do you always know the right thing to say?"

He smiled cockily. "Years of practice."

She rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. "Cute. Not funny, but cute."

"I should go before my mouth gets me into more trouble," he said. "Do you want me to pick you up in the morning?"

"If it's not out of your way or anything," she said.

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "I would go to the ends of the earth for you, Lois Lane."

She shoved him with a snort. "Now you're being corny."

He grinned and kissed her. "I'll see you in the morning."

As he headed to his car, he called Bruce.

"Are you still at Watchtower?" he asked.

"Yeah. Where are you?"

"Lois' place. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

Oliver had turned up by the time Clark got into Watchtower. And he had brought friends.

"Hey Stretch."

Clark grinned. "Bart!"

An African-American man came forward. "Hey Clark."

"I hear you have a clown problem," a tall man with dark blonde hair said as he moved to greet Clark.

"Hey Vic, AC."

Clark had met both Victor Stone and AC, aka Arthur Curry through Oliver, when he had been investigating 33.1. Victor had been involved in a car accident which had killed his parents and young sister. A doctor working for Lionel had used experimental bionic implants which had given Victor new life, but it had been totally unethical. Victor had often said if he'd been given a choice, he would have chosen to die.

Since Oliver had helped him, Victor, also known as Cyborg, had found a different way to deal with what had happened and he was now a valued member of the team.

AC had been caught trying to sabotage one of Lionel's experiments in the Crater Lake in Smallville. He had the ability to breathe underwater and was a fast swimmer. For that, he'd earned the codename Aquaman, although Bart often called him Fishstick.

"What do we have?" Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary asked.

Normally the blonde would be dressed in a tight leather suit with fishnet stockings, but today she was dressed simply in jeans and leather jacket.

Bruce nodded at Chloe, who had clearly been hard at work on the computers. She brought up an image of the Joker.

"I've been talking to every one of my contacts in the greater Gotham area, and even a few of the city's criminal fraternity. No one can give me a clue as to the Joker's whereabouts."

"What's with this freak, anyway?" Bart asked.

"He's a certified psychopath. The Joker has been in and out of Arkham Asylum for the last few years. Every few months he manages to escape. This time, I think he had help." Bruce turned and looked at Clark. "Clark? Jump in any time."

"The Joker's working with my brother, Lucas Dunleavy. Lucas is probably just as psychotic as The Joker, except in one thing. He wants Luthorcorp for himself. But he's not the one pulling the strings. At least, we don't think so."

"Who's we?"

"I'm working with Lois Lane at the Daily Planet. This all started when she began investigating corruption in the mayor's office. Then she stumbled on a company called Marionette Ventures. From what we've been able to determine so far, it's a front for criminal activities in Metropolis.

"Anyway, yesterday Lucas and The Joker had Lois and I kidnapped. They used Kryptonite gas to knock us both out."

"Lex's daughter was taken along with Lois," Oliver spoke up. "And if there's one thing I don't like, it's trash like that hurting kids. Lena's only seven." He looked at Clark. "How's she doing, anyway?"

"It's going to take a little time for her to settle down."

"Poor thing," Chloe said sympathetically. "She must have been frightened to death."

"It's a good thing Lois was with her," Clark told her. "She did a great job keeping Lena reasonably calm. Lois is like Lena's hero right now."

He turned back to Oliver and Bruce. "There's one added complication. Lois has started putting the pieces together and she may have figured out I'm the Blur. I'm not sure if I should tell her the truth."

"Well, of course you shouldn't tell her," Bruce said. "It'll just put her in the firing line."

"I don't know, Bruce. I found out you were Batman and that's turned out okay."

"Your situation is a little different, Chloe," Bruce told her.

She glowered at him, hands on her hips.

"How is it different? The fact that he and Lois are dating, whereas I'm just a bed warmer for you?"

"We are not going to have this argument again, Chloe."

"What argument?" Clark asked.

"Bruce is a commitment phobe."

"I am not a commitment phobe. I just feel that having a steady relationship when you're in my kind of work ..."

"Uh, hands up those who are in a steady relationship?" Oliver asked.

Dinah, Bart and AC raised their hands. Dinah looked at Bart.

"You, shortstuff? You're in a relationship? Who with?"

"None of your beeswax, birdie."

"Yeah, who'd be crazy enough to go out with you, Impulse?"

"Well, I'd sure like to know who you're dating, Fishstick. Flipper's cousin?"

AC flipped him off. "We're not dating," he said. "She's my wife. Her name is Mera. And yes, she has abilities like mine."

"Well, mine's a doctor," Bart said. "Or, well, she's going to be."

Clark looked at Oliver, who was looking at Dinah.

"Who are you seeing?" Oliver asked curiously.

"No one you'd know," Dinah snapped.

"Whoa," Oliver said, raising his hands in surrender. "I was just curious."

"I think the point here is, the only one who worries about what it will do to relationships is you, Bruce," Chloe said.

"Chloe," Bruce said quietly, "my feelings for you are not in question. And if I were to consider marriage, I would ask you in a heartbeat. I just don't think it's fair to ask for that kind of commitment from you considering the constant danger I'm in. Not to mention the danger you would be in if my enemies learned that Bruce Wayne was Batman."

"I care about you too, you idiot. And everything in life is a risk. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow."

"Really want that picture," Bruce grumbled. "Chloe, I ... look, you just have to give me a little time, okay?"

"Hey, could we get back to the subject at hand, please?" Clark asked.

He really didn't want to get into everyone else's soap operas. They might be his friends, but there were more important things going on.

Oliver clapped him on the shoulder. "Clark, if you care about Lois, then I think you need to tell her the truth. I mean, she's clearly already started to figure it out, and it would be better coming from you than her finding out about it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right."

"Getting back to the Joker and Lucas, what's next in your plan of attack?"

"Lois is planning on going undercover at a Gentleman's club, owned by Morgan Edge."

"Uh, what?" Chloe asked.

Clark grimaced. "You know what Lois is like," he said with a sigh of exasperation. "I couldn't stop her if I tried."

"Details, please," Victor said. "I wanna know the who and where." The others groaned.

"Oh please, you just want to go so you can check out the talent," AC said.

Victor grinned. "I cannot lie. Besides, they'll need back-up. And I am the only single guy here."

"Fine. You can come in as back-up," Clark told him. "But you'll be there to work, not to get a lap dance."

Victor shot him a look. "You take all the fun out of it, homes." The others looked at him, and Victor grinned. "Yeah, I really can't pull that off, can I?"

"Meantime, you're all on patrol," Bruce ordered. "Arthur, I want you patrolling down by the docks. Lucas has a sweatshop in this area where we believe they are processing meteor rock. Keep us posted on any activity." He tossed AC a communicator.

"Bart, Dinah, remember you're on Kent detail."

"Who are these guys again?" Bart asked.

"Well, you've actually met Jonathan," Clark told him. "You picked his pocket once. That's when we first met." Bart nodded.

"Oh yeah, you ripped me a new one over that. Sure. We'll keep an eye on them."

"Do you really think the Joker could find out about them?" Dinah asked.

"I don't know," Clark answered. "But I don't want to take any chances."

"The Joker will use anyone he can find to hit where it hurts," Bruce said, and pain crossed his face for a moment. Clark was curious about it but he didn't ask, knowing Bruce was an intensely private person.

"What about Lena?" Chloe asked. "What's Lex doing?"

"Lex has already called in extra security. Not that they'll be much help if the Joker decides to hit the house. And Lena's going to be homeschooled until vacation starts in a couple of weeks. It's going to be hard for her, but Lex thinks it's for the best."

"We'll keep an eye on things," Oliver promised. "I'm not letting that freak get his hands on her again. Not if I can help it."

The others added their own vows. Clark could see from their expressions that none of them liked the idea of a child being used in this way.

Assured that his friends would be on the alert, Clark left Watchtower and headed back to Lex's. Since his brother was now a target as well, he wasn't going to let his family out of his sight.

"Shouldn't you be at Lois'?" Lex asked.

They were in the kitchen. The housekeeper had left for the day and Lex was trying to reheat some pre-prepared meals she'd left for him.

"Let me do that," Clark said, knowing how hopeless his brother was in the kitchen. "God, you're worse than Lois when it comes to cooking. At least I know with her it's lack of talent. You, it's just laziness."

"I do have a corporation to run," Lex said.

"Ever hear of delegating, Lex? I'm sure Tess does a good job in your stead."

He put the dish in the microwave and set it for reheat.

"You're avoiding the question. Why aren't you with Lois?"

"The guys are going to keep an eye on things," Clark said. "And I don't want to crowd her."

"Somehow I don't think Lois will mind."

"Well, I do. We're still in early days yet and I don't want her to feel pushed into something she's not ready for."

Lex looked at him thoughtfully, then nodded. Clark could see that his brother was impressed with the changes Clark had been making.

"Where's Lena?" Clark asked, changing the subject.

"Watching tv. I think The Simpsons are on."

"That show will rot her brain."

"It's not that bad. And it'll take her mind off what happened. She slept for a while but she's still having bad dreams."

"It's only been one day, Lex. It'll take time."

"I've been thinking about what she said in the hospital. Maybe it is time I started dating again. Lois is right. Lena needs a woman to talk to. Someone who isn't Mercy."

"You know, Lena doesn't really like Mercy."

"Yeah, I got that impression." He sighed. "I haven't been with anyone since Helen. I've been so focused on raising Lena the last seven years, I'm not even sure I know how anymore."

"Well, don't rush into anything. And right now, we've got more important things to worry about."

Lex turned away and began pulling cutlery out of the drawer. He set placemats on the table and laid out the cutlery.

"So does Bruce have any leads?"

"No. Not yet. That's why the guys are out patrolling. And Chloe's still trying to get some leads on Marionette." The microwave beeped and Clark pulled out the dish, setting it on a wooden board and taking it to the table. "Let that sit for a minute." He looked at Lex, who had pulled plates from the cupboard. Then he grabbed lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and sprouts and began chopping them up for a salad.

"I'm still curious as to why they've been buying up property. Especially in the central city."

"I don't know. You control the industry, you control the city's economy. In the old days it used to be protection rackets. Don't forget, in the Prohibition Era, they used to smuggle in moonshine. Then they sold it through Speakeasies. This is just gang warfare for the twenty-first century."

Lex was watching in fascination as Clark used superspeed to cut the vegetables and put them all in a salad bowl.

"I've always wondered how you manage to do that without turning things into mush."

Clark shrugged. "I don't know. It's like time slows down for me. It feels like I'm moving at normal speed, it's just everything else is really, really slow." He went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of dressing. "Go call Lena in for dinner."

Clark slept in the room Lex always let him use when he stayed over. It was a large double room with a king size bed and a walk-in closet. The room was close enough to Lena's that he didn't need superhearing.

Around two, he was woken by a scream coming from his niece's bedroom. He got up quickly, throwing on a robe and went out, but Lex had got there first. Lena was crying and it was fairly obvious she had had a nightmare.

"She okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lex said as he rocked his daughter in his arms.

Clark watched, concerned, as Lex soothed Lena. But as soon as he stood up to leave the room, Lena started crying again.

"Don't leave me alone, Daddy," she begged. "He'll get me. The bad man will get me."

Lex glanced up at Clark, then patted his daughter's back.

"Okay, sweetheart, why don't you go hop in my bed. I'll be right there."

Lena got up happily and went to her father's room. Clark sighed.

"She's clingy. I mean, not that I blame her, but ..."

"I'm going to kill that freak with my bare hands for doing this to her," Lex muttered.

"Yeah, get in line," Clark said. "We'll find him. I think once we've caught him, and Lucas, she'll settle down."

Lex nodded slowly. "Just catch him soon Clark. I hate seeing her like this."

Clark left his brother to return to his room. But instead of going back to sleep, Clark dressed in the red jacket and black pants he used when patrolling as the Blur and took off through the sliding doors to the balcony.

He decided to head to the building where Lucas had kept him, and wasn't surprised to find Batman there.

"A little late to be investigating, don't you think?" he asked.

"Got nothing better to do," Bruce returned. "Chloe tends to forget the time when she's totally focused on an investigation."

Clark nodded. He knew exactly what Bruce meant.

"Anything eventful on patrol?"

Bruce shook his head. "I thought you were watching Lex and Lena?"

"Lena had another nightmare."

"She'll have a few more of those, I'd wager. Until we catch those bastards."

"Yeah. So, do you know what this place is?"

"It looks like a facility like the one you told me about. To study meteor mutations."

"33.1? So Lucas was planning on studying me. I guess it's a good thing he didn't get my blood."

"What makes you assume he didn't? You were out for two hours. And since your skin is not impervious around Kryptonite ..."

Clark frowned at him, an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach. Rather like what he felt around Kryptonite.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I found a computer which they'd totally trashed and Chloe is analysing the hard drive as we speak. I also found a syringe in the trash outside. There was blood residue. I'm having that analysed as well."

Clark could have smacked himself. He was a total idiot! Of course Lucas would have had time to get his blood. The question now was, why was Lucas still holding him, unless ...

"He wanted me out of the way, didn't he? He was holding Lena to ransom."

"And Lionel's research was the prize. Lucas has had to start from scratch."

"Only The Joker went off script."

"Well, we can't be sure of the sequence of events. But it's a fairly safe bet Lucas will try again. If not Lena, then someone else. Who else would have known about Lionel's research?"

"Tess! He'll go after Tess!"

"I presume your sister has her own bodyguards?"

Clark nodded. "I thought Lex was being paranoid, now I'm not so sure."

"Go, Clark. Get to Tess' place. Warn her. Lucas may have been off licking his wounds after yesterday but I have no doubt he won't be for long."

Clark nodded, taking off into the night. Tess had an apartment not far from the Luthorcorp building on the top floor. As he landed on the balcony, he could see that something was very wrong. The lights were on and two men were on the floor. Clark broke the lock of the sliding door and went in, bending down to check the men. They'd both been shot, blood pooling, soaked into the carpet. Both dead.

There was a third man on the floor who had also been shot. Clark recognised him as the man who'd spoken to Lucas the day before in the facility.

Swallowing hard, Clark x-rayed the apartment and found a figure crawling slowly across the floor of the bedroom. He sped into the room to find Tess on the floor, bleeding from a gaping wound in her side.

"Tess!"

"Clark," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Lucas ... Lucas was here. I tried to stop him, but I ... He wanted the files. Lionel's research."

"Shh," he said, " don't talk." He put his hand on the bleeding wound, trying to do anything to stop the flow, but the wound was too big. She was fading before his eyes. "I'm going to get you to the hospital."

Tess shook her head. "It's too late. Lionel ... had a safety deposit box. In Zurich." She choked on a mouthful of blood. Lucas had beaten her before he'd stabbed her. "I don't know if the files were there, but ..."

"I failed you," Clark said. "I'm so sorry, Tess. I should have protected you."

"You can't be everywhere at once, Clark," she said, struggling to get the words out. "I'm the one who failed you."

"Don't talk like that," Clark answered, soothing her. Tess coughed, choking as she sucked in breaths.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her body going limp. She was gone.

Clark laid her gently on the floor, raging at the night.

"God damn you, Lucas. I'm going to make you pay for this if it's the last thing I do."

He called J'onn J'onzz and told him what had happened. J'onn promised he'd send people he could trust to investigate the scene, ensuring they would ignore the broken lock.

Not wanting to disturb Lex, he decided against calling his brother just yet. There was one more stop he wanted to make.

Oliver was on a rooftop, watching the townhouse. Clark landed beside him. Oliver looked unsurprised to see him.

"Figured you'd be by here sooner or later."

"Just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"See for yourself," Oliver said, nodding. Clark x-rayed the house. Lois was curled up in bed, sleeping soundly. As he watched, a police patrol unit passed the house and a security guard walked by on foot. He turned his head in Oliver's direction and nodded briefly.

To anyone else, it probably looked like overkill. But Clark wasn't taking any chances. Not after what had just happened.

"Tess is dead. Lucas attacked her in her apartment. Killed the two bodyguards she had with her. They managed to get one shot off though. Killed one of Lucas' men."

"God, Clark. This is serious."

"I know. Lucas doesn't know it yet, but he's started a war. And I'm going to finish it."


	31. Windgate

Chapter Thirty-One

Lois was up early the next morning, feeling better after having slept in her own bed. She made fresh coffee and sat drinking it while looking at the notes she'd made. She wondered if she should confront Clark about what she knew, and she wondered if he would deny it. But it all made sense. It was completely crazy, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew she was right.

Sighing, she went to shower and dress, putting on her make-up as if she was in a dream. She didn't hear the front door open and was not aware someone was in the house until she went back out to the kitchen.

"Argh!" She gasped, putting a hand on her chest. "Clark, goddamnit, don't do that. You just about gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"I, uh ..." He frowned. Lois could see he looked tired.

"Clark, what is it?"

"It's Tess," he said. "She was murdered last night. It was one of Lucas' men."

Lois put her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god!"

"I found her. I got there just in time for her to die in my arms. She said Lucas was going after a safety deposit box. In Zurich."

Lois frowned. Safety deposit box? How come no one in the family knew about it?

"Was it Lionel's?"

"Yeah."

"Does Lex know about Tess?"

Clark nodded. "I told him this morning. Lois, I ..."

She put a hand on his arm. "It's okay, Clark."

He turned away from her, running a hand through his hair.

"No, it's not okay. Lex is shattered, Lena's a wreck. Everything's turned upside down and I don't know what to do. Everything's just so messed up."

She touched his arm but he pulled away.

"Clark, don't do this. Don't shut me out.

"Lois, I can't do this. I thought I could, but ..." His shoulders lifted and fell and he heaved a long sigh. "Lois, it's not safe for you to be around me."

"I don't understand."

He looked at her. "The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you Lois. But maybe ... maybe it's best if we don't see each other. You've already become a target because of me."

Lois felt her heart plummet. What was he saying? She stared at him for a long moment, barely able to breathe. Was he saying goodbye? Was that what this was all about?

"So what are you going to do? Just take-off and hope that Lucas will stop doing what he's doing? Go back to travelling the world? How is that going to change anything?"

"It'll take the heat off you."

"And I'll just turn around and get myself into some other jam."

"About that ..."

"No! You don't get to walk away from this, Luthor. You don't get to do a major cop out on me."

"Cop out? What makes you think this is a cop-out?"

"You're breaking up with me for my own good. And we've barely even started dating."

"You don't get it."

"No, I think I do, Clark. You're choosing to run away rather than face what is really going on. I know you're The Blur, Clark. I figured you out."

"I know," he said. "I saw your notes."

"You went in my bag? My personal stuff?" she asked.

"I was tidying up yesterday and I saw it, I wasn't prying!"

"You were in my stuff?"

"Can we focus on the issue at hand here?"

"Oh, you mean the one where you've been lying to me? And I thought you said you never lie!"

"Well, technically I haven't lied. I mean you haven't asked me before if I'm the Blur."

"Don't split hairs with me! This doesn't get you off the hook! Now we are going to talk about this and I'm not letting you leave until we do."

"There's no point. I've made up my mind."

"No! You don't get to do this, Clark. You don't get to make that decision for me. We're in this together. You said yesterday you wanted forever and that's what I want too. You can't tell me ..."

"Tess wasn't dead when I said that!"

"So this is about Tess?"

"No! Yes, no, I don't know. Damn it, Lois, the thought of losing you ... I couldn't stand it if you were killed because I wasn't there to protect you. Lucas knows about my abilities, Lois. God, how do you think it felt knowing the Joker had trapped you in that fire and I was almost too late because of that mother... son of a bitch! I want to murder him, Lois."

"I know you do, but, Clark, you can't keep thinking what if."

"You don't get it. If Lucas found out I was in love with you he would zero in on you."

"You ... what?"

Lois couldn't breathe. She couldn't believe what he'd just said. Clark didn't repeat it, turning away.

"I can't take that chance, Lois. I'm sorry. I just can't. Too many people have been hurt because of my abilities. Because of what I am."

"That's their issue. Not yours. Clark ..."

But Clark was already gone. He was out the door before she could stop him. Lois found herself staring at the closed door, wondering what the hell had just happened.

She finally made it into work an hour later, thinking she was being followed. A couple of times as she glanced behind her in the cab, she could swear she saw Green Arrow on the rooftops. Not to mention a guy in a silver jacket hovering around the corner from the Daily Planet building.

As soon as she entered the building she was ambushed by Cat and Jeff.

"Oh my god, Lois!" Cat said. "We heard what happened! Are you okay?"

Lois surrendered to the girl's over-enthusiastic hug. Okay, so she and Cat didn't get along at the best of times, but the blonde did care!

"I'm fine," she said. "Thanks to the - the Blur."

Oh god, it felt so weird saying that now that she knew his identity.

"I'm glad to see you're okay, Lois," Jeff told her. "There have been all sorts of rumours. About the Joker and Batman. It's been crazy!"

"Yeah, I imagine it has," she said. She saw Mercy coming down the stairs.

"The boss wants to see you in his office," Mercy told her.

"Thanks Mercy." She looked at Jeff and Cat. "Uh, I'll talk to you guys later."

She could tell they were both puzzled at her tone. Lois was usually fairly abrupt with them. But right now, she was more concerned with what Lex was going to say.

Lena was sitting in one of Lex's chairs, working on a laptop, when Lois got in. As soon as she saw Lex, she could see what Clark meant. Lex looked completely shattered. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had his head in his hands. He looked up at her.

"Lois," he said, his smile tight.

"Hi. Clark told me ..."

Lex nodded. "I know. He called me after he left your place. He's on his way to Zurich."

"He is?" Lois sat down. "Oh, about the safety deposit box. How did ... why didn't that information show up when Lionel died?"

"I don't know. I assume Tess found it when she was going through some papers. Uh, about Tess ... the funeral's tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry, Lex. I know how difficult this all is for you. I mean, you just found out she was your sister, and now ..."

"It's Lucas. He's trying to break me."

"Yeah."

"So, Clark told me what happened. Lois, I want to assure you that I have in no way encouraged Clark to do this. I've seen the changes he's made in the last few days. It's all happened rather quickly, but I know how he feels about you and I want you to know that I don't agree at all with his actions."

"Thanks, Lex, that means a lot. And I'm not giving up on him. Clark may be acting like an idiot right now, but I'm not going to give up on him."

"Good. I don't expect you to."

Lois sighed. "I suppose since Clark is no longer my partner, this means the undercover thing is out."

Lex looked at her thoughtfully. "No, it's not," he said, after a few moments. "While I'm still not happy about the situation, I think this is the best way to get on the inside and get what we need on Morgan Edge. And I have an idea that might give Clark the wake up call he needs."

Lois looked at him, then leaned forward in her chair. "Oh? Tell me."

Lex grinned, animation showing in his tired face for the first time since she'd walked into his office. He began outlining the plan. As Lois listened, a slow smile crept over her face.

They both noticed Lena had stopped working and she was clearly listening to the plan. Lex glanced at Lois and winked.

"Lena," he said. "Come over here."

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Were you listening to our conversation?"

Lena flushed guiltily. "I'm sorry Daddy."

"Don't be sorry. I'm sure you couldn't help yourself. But I want you to promise me that you'll not breathe a word of this to your uncle. Understand? It has to be a secret."

"You mean, like Uncle Clark's secret?"

"Something like that," Lex said. "And don't worry," he added, with a quick look at Lois. "Lois knows all about that. Will you promise?"

"I promise Daddy. Especially cos Uncle Clark's being silly."

"Yes, he's being very silly," Lex agreed.

Lois chuckled. "Don't worry Lena. Between your dad and I, we'll knock some sense into him."

She went to her office and wrote up her notes. Everything except what she'd learned about Clark. She was deep in thought when someone knocked on her door.

"Hey Legs," a voice said.

She looked up.

"Ollie. This is a surprise. What brings you here?"

"Well, Lex, actually. He asked me to keep an eye on you."

"He did, huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, since Clark went AWOL."

"I don't want to talk about Clark," she said, scowling.

"Look, I've known Clark a long time, and I've never seen him this tied up in knots. He's angry and he's scared and yeah, he's being a total idiot right now, but he really is trying to protect you."

"I know that, Ollie. And that's what pisses me off. I never asked him for his protection."

"He isn't thinking straight, I know that much. The thing is, I've never seen him like this before. I mean, like I said, I've known him a long time and I've watched him with woman after woman. He even took a girl from me once."

"I'm sorry."

Oliver waved his hand. "Ah hell, that was a long time ago and fact is if she'd really been into me then it wouldn't have made a whole hell of a lot of difference. The point is, you're the first woman he's ever really cared about and he doesn't know how to deal with that. And with Tess' murder ..."

"Yeah, I had a talk with Lex about it this morning."

"Clark mentioned something about going undercover?"

"Yep."

"You sure you want to do this?"

"It might be the only way to get to Lucas. I mean, if he really is working for or with Morgan Edge, then Edge might have some information."

"So when are you going?"

"Tonight. Lex is making sure one of the girls have to, uh, drop out. I'm going in disguise. Not even my own father will recognise me."

Oliver nodded. "Well, since your mind's made up, I'm going to provide the back up."

Lois frowned at him. She had a feeling that she was missing something, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Oliver was beckoning to someone outside her office and Lois stared as a young man came in. The same man who had been watching her earlier that morning.

"Wait a minute. You ... I saw you. Watching me."

"Lois Lane, meet Victor Stone. He's a friend of mine. And Clark's."

Victor grinned, putting a hand out. Lois shook it.

"Wow," he said. "I knew you were beautiful. Well, from what I saw this morning. But you're totally gorgeous!"

"Uh, thanks," she said, blushing. "So, um, why are you watching me?"

"Cause Clark's my man, you know? And he asked us to watch over you. Make sure Lucas didn't try anything."

Lois was even more sure she was missing something. Her frown deepened.

"Uh, so you work in security?"

Victor laughed and glanced at Oliver.

"Not exactly. See, a group of us, we're sort of ... well, I guess you'd call us superheroes."

Lois looked from Victor to Oliver, the truth becoming clearer.

"You know, don't you? That Clark's ..." She looked around quickly, making sure no one else was in earshot. "...The Blur."

"Yeah, Legs, we know. Maybe I should, uh, let you in on a little secret. I'm Green Arrow."

Lois' jaw just about dropped to the floor. "Oh my god! Really?"

The blonde nodded. "And Victor here is called Cyborg."

"Why?"

"Part man, part machine, and costing a whole hell of a lot more than six million dollars," Victor said. "I've got so much hardware in me I could open up a Home Depot Store."

Oliver groaned. "Long story Lois. But Victor is more than up to the task. He'll be at the club tonight keeping an eye on things. Although, given what's happened, I'm not sure ..."

"Oliver, I know what you're thinking. But it's the only way to get to the truth. I mean, you should have heard Clark this morning. He's so angry I bet he would kill Lucas right now if he could get his hands on him."

"Yeah, well even I know Clark has his limits. And Lucas has definitely crossed the line."

"We'll get him," Victor said, sounding more assured than Lois felt.

Clark still hadn't come into the office by the time Lois was ready to leave for the night. But she knew he was back from Zurich as she'd heard Cat in the bullpen talking about him. Lois wanted to go looking for him, but she figured it was better to give him some space.

Hopefully, Lex's plan would work, she thought.

She reported to the back area of the Windgate Club shortly before ten. Lois quickly checked her reflection. She had managed to find a long red wig which hid her own hair perfectly. The costume she'd chosen was a bikini with hot pants, beneath a short skirt and a fitted top which was tied together in front with a bow. When she'd shown the costume to Lex he'd joked he would need to get the camera footage from the club, especially to get Clark's reaction.

She smiled at the bouncer, chewing on a stick of gum.

"Hiya," she said, putting on a Texan drawl. "I'm the new girl."

"You're late," he growled. He nodded with his head inside. "Report to Jake. He'll fill you in."

"Thanks," she said. "See ya." She sashayed in, swinging her hips, knowing the guy was checking out her ass.

Once inside, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"Easy Lois," she told herself under her breath. "It's just a role. Picture them naked. No, don't picture them naked. Picture Clark naked." Oh yeah, this was going to go swimmingly.

Jake was a big beefy guy with what looked like a handlebar moustache. Lois grimaced.

"Gee. Talk about your fashion faux pas. Hi," she said, louder. "I'm the new girl."

"Where's your costume?" he asked.

She showed him the bag on her shoulder. "Got it right here."

"Well, get in there and change. Like right now. You're on in ten minutes."

Damn! So much for doing a bit of investigating beforehand. Oh well. At least she'd get this over with quickly.

She looked around the dressing room. A lot of the girls appeared to be even younger than her. Some of them were clearly underage. From what Lex had told her about the place, it had a bad reputation. Or sleazy might be the word. She needed to be on her guard.

Lois quickly changed into the costume, touching up her heavy make-up and making sure the false eyelashes stayed in place. The other girls paid her no attention.

She touched the small communicator in her ear, activating it.

"Victor?" she said in a loud whisper.

"Yeah, babe, I'm here. I'm out front. You're good to go."

Jake called out. "New girl! Get your ass backstage now!"

Lois went out, glowering at Jake. "Keep your shirt on!"

"You better be good, girl! I had to call in a few favours to get the boss to hire you."

"Whatever!" she answered with a little toss of her head. The wig stayed in place.

She watched as the girl ahead of her danced on the stage in what looked like an angel costume. The music reached its peak and the girl moved off the stage and into the crowd. Lois looked around at the men watching the stage. Where was he?

Jake nudged her as the song came to an end and the song she'd chosen started.

"Gentleman, say au revoir to Angel, and hello to a lovely young lady making her debut appearance here at the Windgate. You can call her Miss Jackson."

"Deep breath, Lois," she told herself as she waited for the right moment.

_Sitting in the movie show  
>Thinking nasty thoughts<em>

Lois waved her leg at the edge of the curtain, giving the men a taste of what was to come.

_Better be a gentleman  
>Or you'll turn me off<em>

She sashayed onto the stage, giving them another glimpse, before turning away and tossing her head. Then turned around, bending over to give them a view of her cleavage, then began to dance.

_Nasty, nasty boys, don't mean a thing  
>Oh you nasty boys<br>Nasty, nasty boys, don't ever change  
>Oh you nasty boys<em>

Lois kept in character, pretending to reject the men watching her dance, yet giving them an eyeful. As she danced, she flicked her gaze around the room. It was a little difficult to see with the dim lighting, but eventually she saw him. Reassured, she focused all her dancing on showing off her figure, keeping in the back of her mind the one person she wanted to dance for.

She slowly undid the bow holding her top together and stripped it off, keeping in time to the music, tossing it aside, then slid the skirt off her hips, turning and gyrating as she did so until the skirt fell to the floor. She quickly kicked that aside, then danced her way over to the pole.

"Thank god for pole dancing lessons," Lois said to herself. When she'd been an intern, she'd been assigned a story on different exercise crazes and pole dancing had been one of them. She'd enjoyed her first lesson so much she decided to take a few more.

She hooked her leg around the pole and spun in a circle, moving down the pole, amid cheers from the watching men, then she stood with her back against the pole, twisting her hips and trying to make it look as sexy and effortless as possible.

The song was beginning to come to a close and she started to move off the stage. A few of the men looked at her with invitation in their gazes, but Lois ignored them, continuing to move until she got to one of the tables in the middle of the club. Victor was sitting at the table with a shit-eating grin.

And there was Clark. She sat on his lap and his hands automatically moved to her waist.

"Lois?"

"Keep your voice down, Luthor," she said, slowly moving on his lap as if she was inviting a lap dance.

"You shouldn't be here. Do you know how dangerous this is?"

"Lighten up, Luthor. Don't tell me what to do."

Victor got up from the table. "I think this is my exit," he said. "I'll be at the bar."

Clark stared as Victor beat a hasty retreat.

"We are not going to do this right here," Clark hissed.

"Oh yes we are, Luthor. And don't pretend you haven't been to one of these places before. Lex told me all about it."

"That was different! Lois, you could get yourself killed. And why do I feel like I have to kill my brother?"

Maybe because he was the one who set you up, Lois thought. And he wouldn't have done if you weren't acting like an idiot!

"Uh, and which of us is the boss of me?" she argued, glancing at the bouncer, who was frowning at her. "Look, give me a twenty."

"What?"

"A twenty. You know, it's that little green paper with a picture of Andrew Jackson."

"I know what a twenty is."

"Great. So give it to me and then meet me out back."

"What will giving you money prove?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Well, duh, what do you think?"

"A lap dance? Are you crazy?"

"No, but evidently you are. Just do it, Clark!"

Reluctantly he pulled out a twenty dollar bill and slid it beneath her bikini top. She rolled her eyes again.

"How did I know you'd pick that spot?"

She got off his lap, brushing her hand against his groin. Then smirked at him. He was already half-hard.

"Well, at least Clark Junior's happy to see me."

Clark growled. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll follow you backstage."

Lois didn't wait to see if he was following, walking quickly backstage. Jake smirked at her.

"Nice!"

Up yours, jerk, she thought. He leered at her, looking her up and down. Clark chose that moment to grab her arm, looking at Jake with murder in his gaze. Jake coughed.

"Sir," he said, looking suitably chastened.

Lois had to admit that Clark radiated power. Which made her wonder why she hadn't realised before that he had powers. But clearly he was used to hiding those abilities when he wasn't using them.

Lois led him into one of the private rooms. Lex had given her the layout of the place. He'd been here once, as a teenager, and the club had changed little.

The room had what appeared to be a daybed. It was fairly clear a lot more than lap dances went on in this club.

Lois pushed Clark down so he was sitting on the bed and climbed on his lap. He frowned at her.

"What are you ..."

"Look up to your left," she whispered in his ear. She'd spotted the camera as soon as she'd walked in.

"So, uh, Miss Jackson," Clark said in a louder voice. "Tell me what you're going to do."

"I'm going to make all your fantasies come true," she said with a smirk. She lifted a hand to the tie behind her back and untied it. Then she leaned forward as if to push her breasts in his face. "This doesn't let you off the hook though, Luthor. I'm still mad at you for what you did today."

"I have my reasons," he told her, sounding a little breathless at the way she was moving her body up and down on him, grinding against his erection. "God, don't ... shit!"

Lois kept moving, conscious of the security camera. She wondered if they sometimes used the footage to blackmail patrons. Especially those who were well-known. If so, they had a nice little set-up here.

Clark tried to stop her momentum but she batted his hands away.

"No touching. That's the rules."

Clark looked almost pained and she snickered. She was sure Lex hadn't quite had this in mind when he'd come up with the plan to get Clark to the club. He'd only gone as far as her pretending to give him a lap dance on the club floor.

Clark was groaning, his breathing growing even more erratic. Lois moved faster, grinding down harder and Clark froze for a moment. He leaned his head on her shoulder as he slowly came down.

"Now that," she told him, still whispering, "is about as close as you are going to get from here on in. Consider that a freebie."

Clark lifted his head and stared at her, his eyes still glazed. "What?"

Lois pushed herself off his lap, looking pointedly down at the wet spot on his jeans.

"Show's over," she told him. She fixed her bikini top and went to the door, opening it.

Clark shook his head. "I don't think so," he told her.

She watched as he turned and suddenly there were sparks from the camera. Lois gasped.

"What the hell?"

Clark ignored her, pulling her away from the door and pushing her back down onto the bed, glaring down at her.

"You want to play these games, Lois, then you better be prepared to do whatever it takes to win. Because I don't like losing."

Then his lips closed over hers in the hottest kiss she had ever known. It was as if Clark was taking possession. And Lois let him.


	32. Edge

Chapter Thirty-Two

Clark wasn't sure who to be angrier with. Lois for coming down to the club, or Lex for setting him up. Sure, Lex had made it sound like Lois had done this all on her own initiative, but he knew Lex well enough to know when his brother was scheming.

He'd had time to think about what he'd told Lois early that morning. He still thought he was right in not letting them be together, but at that point in time, he was in no state to be rationalising anything.

Right now all he could feel and smell and taste was Lois. Even if she didn't look like Lois right now. The only way he'd known it was Lois was because of the way she'd been announced when she'd made her appearance. And god, watching her dance had been ... Clark had had to avert his eyes to stop himself from setting something on fire. Especially when Lois had swung around the pole like a professional, like she was ...

Oh, you are so not going there, Luthor, he thought.

Lois was whimpering beneath him and he wasn't sure if he was hurting her or if it was something else. He eased off the pressure a little and she pulled him closer. Okay, not hurting her.

A big part of him wanted to take her then and there. Own her. Pay her back for her teasing. He was tempted. He had already come but he was hardening again with just the thought of her juicy lips, her tight ...

"Yo, babe, everything okay?"

Clark's superhearing kicking in was like a cold shower. With a growl, he pulled away, putting as much distance between himself and Lois as he could in that little room. Lois blinked up at him in surprise, her lips swollen and red with his kisses. Then she touched her ear.

"Uh, yeah, Victor, I'm fine."

"I just overheard some guy talking about Edge. Isn't that who you came here to investigate?"

"Yes, yes it was. Thanks."

Lois stood up, straightening her clothes. At least, the little of them she had. Clark breathed deep, trying to get his libido back under control. Lois avoided his gaze, but he could tell from the pulse at her neck that she was fighting just as much for control.

"Lois, we have to talk."

She strode to the door, ignoring him.

"Lois!"

"No, we don't, Clark. You said all you had to say this morning. Like I said, I'm still angry with you and right now I have more important things to worry about than your issues. So hurry up and try to make yourself look halfway decent instead of looking like you've just been doing the horizontal hula."

Clark snorted in amusement. She always had a way with words.

"Isn't that what we've been doing? I mean, if you want to get technical about it. You did give me a lap dance."

Lois looked at him then, her eyes glinting with anger. Yeah, there was no chance in hell she was going to forgive him anytime soon.

"Technical schmechnical," she said. "First, that was for their benefit. And second, that was just a taste of what you're going to be missing out on. Because let me tell you something, buster, you ain't getting anywhere near this." She pointed to her rear. "Not anytime soon."

Clark rolled his eyes, looking her over again. She must have used make-up to cover the bruises on her torso and her arms, as some of it had rubbed off.

"Lois," he said, reaching out. "Your bruises."

Lois looked down. "Shit! So much for the warpaint." She shrugged. "Well, hopefully they won't see in their pathetic excuse for lighting."

She opened the door and went out. Clark followed with a sigh.

He was surprised to see no one in the corridors, but he guessed those girls who weren't on the floor were in the private rooms. He'd been in a club like the Windgate once before, and knew exactly what went on. The owners usually turned a blind eye to it unless the cops happened to raid them. Clark had once been caught up in a raid and arrested. He'd been dating Lana then, so he must have been about seventeen. All he remembered was, Lana kept refusing sex with him so he'd gone to the club for a 'private session' with one of the girls.

When the cops had found him in one of the club's private rooms, with a girl who had been barely seventeen at the time, they'd busted him on the spot for drinking underage and a whole list of other charges. Lionel had been furious when he'd found out, giving Clark a beating he'd felt for days, despite the fact that once he'd been away from his father's green Kryptonite ring he'd healed instantly.

Lois grabbed her clothes from the dressing room and put on her hooded jacket and jeans.

"Where's the office?" he asked her in a loud whisper.

Lois pointed along the corridor. "One of the girls said it's upstairs and to the right."

Clark looked at her.

"Please, they're strippers, not rocket scientists. I told her I wanted to talk to the boss about getting a permanent gig here."

"Lois ..."

"Lighten up, Luthor. You'll get wrinkles." She grabbed his arm. "Come on."

He followed her as she found the door to the stairway and went up. Just as they reached the top, the door to the office opened. Hurriedly, Clark pushed her into a dark alcove.

"What are you ..." she began and he pressed his mouth to hers to keep her quiet.

What had started off as a protective measure soon escalated into a kiss that made him dizzy with want.

One of the men who had come out of the office could be heard talking.

"Any idea where Luthor went?" he asked.

"Jake said he saw him going off with that new girl into one of the private rooms. She sure puts on one hell of a show. Man, I would have loved to have been in his position."

"Well, we better find him before the boss comes back. Mr Edge wants a word with him."

"Yeah, I bet he does."

The voices faded as the two men went down the stairs. Clark pulled away from Lois.

"That was close," she said, sounding breathless.

"Yeah," he said, grabbing her hand. He peered out, checking the corridor, then x-rayed the door of the office. It was empty. "It's clear. We can go."

They went into the office and began searching through the papers.

"What exactly are we looking for?" he asked.

"Come on, Clark, use that genius brain of yours."

"Lois, Edge isn't exactly going to have documents saying he killed Lachlan and Eliza, now is he?"

"Oh, I don't know. The man has a pretty big ego, from what I hear. If Lionel had the evidence linking Edge to the murders, he might just have it as some kind of trophy."

"We'd still have to figure out what that evidence is."

"Keep looking," she told him.

Clark kept shuffling through the papers on the desk, using his x-ray vision to help sort through the documents. He chanced to look up and saw what looked like a safe behind a painting. Going back to normal vision, he moved toward the painting.

"Lois, there's a safe behind here."

She frowned at him. "How do you ..."

"X-ray vision."

"Okay, we are so going to need to have a talk about these powers of yours. Like how many you have and what exactly you can do with them."

"Later," he said, taking the painting off the hook on the wall. The safe had a tumbler, which was going to make it easier for him to work out the combination.

"How are you ..." Lois asked and he shushed her.

"I need to focus," he said.

He began turning the tumbler slowly, listening for the change in the clicks. The first part of the combination was eight right. Turning the tumbler anti-clockwise, he waited for the clicks again and it came up with twenty eight. The next one was no surprise. Seventy-three. Clark sighed.

"What?"

"The combination. Eight, twenty-eight, seventy-three."

"August 28, 1973. The date your grandparents were killed. Figures."

Clark opened the safe. In it were some papers on Marionette Ventures and what looked like an old tape. He pulled them out and handed them to Lois. Then closed the safe and put the painting back.

"Put those in your bag," he told her. "Let's get out of here."

He grasped Lois' arm and started toward the door. Just then the door opened and a blonde man in his early sixties came in.

"Well, hello Clark," he said.

Oh god, Morgan Edge. Clark quickly put himself between Lois and Morgan, realising it was a mistake when Edge held up a gun. Clark suddenly began to feel very dizzy and nauseous. Edge smirked at him.

"Well, you didn't think I would be unprepared once I knew you were in my club, now did you?"

"Clark?" Lois' voice was tinged with alarm. "What's happening?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him, my dear Miss Lane. Now, I think the three of us need to have a little discussion, don't you?"

Clark's voice was strained as he fought against the pain.

"I have nothing to say to you, Edge."

"Pity. You know, your father, who is probably burning in hell right about now, was a rather stubborn individual. He really should have learned to work with me."

"Instead you killed him," Clark said hoarsely.

"No, no, that was your brother. As much as I hate to admit it, he is good at it. After all the boy is quite unstable, but he does enjoy the killing. It's a pity that you and Alexander both chose to take the moral high ground. But then, Lex was always far too much like his mother and you, Clark, well you are the unknown factor. After all, we both know you are not from around here."

"Fuck you, Edge!" Clark hissed, even as the older man held the gun against his neck. The contact burned him and he winced in pain.

Edge stood up and Clark's vision was blurring.

"As for you, Miss Lane, well you are proving quite the thorn in my side. I think we're just going to have to do something about you."

"Don't you touch her," Clark growled.

Edge tsked. "Now, now, my boy, you are hardly in a position to be arguing. You don't look well. Rather green, one might say."

Clark struggled to get to his feet, fighting against the weakness and the waves of nausea. Edge seemed to sigh.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you, Clark."

There was a loud bang and Lois screamed. "Clark!"

Clark felt an incredible agony, like a hundred burning needles in his shoulder. His vision began greying at the edges but he fought to hold onto his consciousness. He heard Lois cursing a blue streak at the older man, then loud crashes and a pained grunt from Edge.

"Put the gun down, Miss Lane," Edge cried out, a steel note to his voice.

"I don't think so, Mr Edge."

"Don't be ridiculous," the older man was saying. "Give me the gun little girl."

"I'm not ... a little girl," she hissed. Clark was too busy fighting the pain to cry out a warning, but it seemed Lois had it all in hand. "You forget, Mr Edge, that I was raised an army brat. I was taught to use a gun before I could read and write."

"You going to shoot me?"

"Thinking about it."

There were more voices, which all seemed to bleed into one. But Lois seemed to be the one in control.

"You two, put your weapons down. Now!"

There was the unmistakeable click of a bullet going into a chamber and then an eerie silence. Or at least it seemed like it. Then Clark felt himself being lifted and the world seemed to turn topsy-turvy.

"Clark, hang on baby. I'm going to get you to a hospital."

Clark felt himself being dragged to who knew where, then lowered gently into the seat of a car.

"Lois," he said, wondering why the word sounded odd.

"Clark, stay with me. You have to stay with me."

"Can't," he moaned. "Have to ... you have to ..."

"Honey, I can't understand what you're saying."

"Bullet," he tried again. He screamed. The pain was burning through his whole body. Then he heard Lois screaming.

"Victor, you have to help him."

"Okay, okay, chill girl. We just have to get the bullet out, that's all."

"That's all? Look at him, it's like he's dying."

"Ah hell, you're not dying yet, right big guy? Yo, boss man, we need a hand here." There was a long pause. "Find me a knife."

"A knife?" Lois asked. "Ah, wait, hang on. I've got a pocket knife in my bag."

"Swiss army knife?" Victor's chuckle was almost ironic.

"Yeah, Girl Scouts got nothing on me. Can you get it out?"

"I can try. Hold on to something big guy. This is going to hurt like fuck."

Clark screamed again as something dug into his shoulder. He could barely see.

"Oh my god!" Lois said. "Look at his skin."

"Yeah, yeah, I see it. Poison's spreading."

"Poison."

"From the Kryptonite."

"I thought the bullet was made from meteor rock?" Lois was asking.

Somehow, focusing on the conversation above him helped him with the pain. He tried to sit up, to tell Lois everything but he was too weak and everything he tried to say came out jumbled.

"Yeah, Kryptonite. That's what he calls it. It's pieces of his home planet." There was another pause. "Oh shit, he didn't tell you everything did he?"

"No, he didn't," Lois said coolly. "And I'm so going to kick his ass when he wakes up."

"Yeah, get rid of this for me, will ya?"

That was the last Clark heard as he sank down into the welcoming darkness.

The next thing he knew, Lex and Oliver were standing over him, their faces full of concern. Oliver smiled.

"Well, hey, welcome back to the land of the living."

"Had us a little worried there, Clark," Lex said.

Clark sat up, still feeling a little woozy. He immediately felt his shoulder. It was completely healed. He looked around him, realising they were at Watchtower.

"How're you feeling kid?" Oliver asked.

Clark rolled his eyes. "Better."

"Jesus Clark. Next time don't scare us like that. We thought you were a goner for sure."

"Luthor!" Lois must have seen he was awake as she strode angrily over from the bank of computers.

"Uh oh, it's the missus," Oliver cracked. "I think you're in trouble now!"

"Shut up!" Clark growled. He looked up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lois ..."

"Don't you start with me Luthor. Do you know what a song and dance I had to pull just to get you out of there? How you managed to survive this long without me, I don't know. And I tell you what, it's a damn good thing Victor was tuned in otherwise we both would have been shark bait right about now. I cannot believe you went and got yourself shot! And here you are worrying about protecting me when I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You are such an idiot, Luthor, and don't think I'm going to forget this in a hurry. And how you could have kept such pertinent information from me. My god, Clark you were almost killed! You ..."

"Lois!" Three voices chimed at once.

Clark groaned. He should know by now that when Lois got into full rant mode she was like a runaway freight train.

"I'm fine," he said sarcastically. "Thanks for asking."

Lois glowered at him. But just as she opened her mouth to start ranting again, Chloe came over.

"Well, much as I hate to say it, what you guys found in that safe was worth getting shot for."

"Chloe!"

"You guys so need to listen to this," she said. "I managed to dig up an old tape player and transferred it to computer. Now the tape's almost like forty years old so there were a few gaps in the recording but let me tell you, you guys found a goldmine."

Clark stood up, shaking the lightheadedness away. He looked at Lex, then looked around the main room.

"Where's ... " he asked.

Lex nodded to the mezzanine floor. Lena was upstairs playing Checkers with Bart. Clark frowned. It had to be well after midnight, but he supposed that Lex just wanted to keep his daughter within his sight, and Lena clearly wasn't going to be able to sleep without her father close by.

"King me," she was saying.

"Again?" Bart complained.

Clark turned his attention back to the monitors. He noticed Lois had taken off her wig and heavy make-up and her face was bare of make-up. Good, he thought, because as hot as 'Miss Jackson' was, Lois was hotter. He wanted to tell her, but she glowered at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Great, he thought. Still in the doghouse.

As he watched, Chloe brought up a sound file. The first voice he heard was Lionel's. A forty year younger Lionel.

"One Suicide."

"Thanks," Morgan Edge said. "How are things with the old man?"

"Same as usual," Lionel said. "The old bastard just won't quit. Always on my case about something. Seems like nothing I do ever pleases him."

The sound faded for a moment.

"... do something about it?"

"Like what? I need money to get out from under. I'm sick of moonlighting in the print shop."

"That building has to be worth a ton in insurance. Fact is, I heard from Davis that it's costing him too much to keep it up."

Lionel guffawed. "What are you suggesting? Burn it down for the insurance?"

"Could be an idea. We could split the money with Davis. Would give you enough to get out from under."

"It still wouldn't be enough. And the old man would want to split it."

"So we ... the old man and the old lady are there when it goes up."

"Morgan, you're crazy. What if the cops get involved?"

"Lionel, you've been bitching for months about the old man. And you know I can do this. I built incendiary bombs in 'Nam. Besides, we both know the cops can't do anything. The slum lords control the streets, not City Hall."

"I don't know, Morgan. I hate the bastard, I really do. It's just ... we're talking about murder."

Chloe looked at them. "The rest of the recording is pretty much the same. Lots of blah, blah, blah, should we, shouldn't we."

"Question is," Bruce said, and Clark stared, not even realising the Gotham billionaire had been there, "is it enough to prove it in a court of law?"

"Lois and Clark managed to get a report from the fire investigator. Edge had that hidden in his safe as well," Lex said. "Couple that evidence with the tape, I think there may be a case. I'll hand it over personally to the DA's office in the morning. They're already looking into Lionel's murder." He looked at Clark. "Meantime, I think Clark needs some time to recuperate."

Clark was going to object but Lex glared at him and he subsided. Lex was right. He'd been shot with a Kryptonite bullet and needed time to recover.

"Don't worry about Lois," Oliver told him. "Vic and I will make sure she gets home safe."

Lex was quiet on the drive home and Clark waited for the lecture that never came. He'd screwed up. Where getting shot was concerned and with Lois. He could tell his brother was pissed with him, but he clearly wasn't going to lecture Clark with Lena in the car.

Lex put his daughter to bed in his room and came out to the kitchen.

"Lex, I ..."

"Save it, Clark. I think we both need some time to process what happened tonight. But I will say this. I think Lois proved herself more than capable of taking care of herself and you're an idiot for ever thinking of breaking up with her to protect her. You know, Lois was really hurt by that, and ..."

"I know. I know I screwed up with her. I just ..."

"Clark, I'm exhausted. It's been a long day and it's almost two am. And I have to meet with the DA tomorrow. So I really don't want to talk about this right now. Now, I'm going to bed. I suggest you do the same."

Sighing, Clark did as he was told, falling into a sound sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It was late the next morning by the time he got into the Daily Planet. He walked up the stairs to Lois' office, bumping into her as she came barrelling out of her office, dropping papers everywhere.

Clark immediately bent down to help her, bumping his head accidentally against hers.

"Ow! Geez, what do you have in there? Concrete? Next time, watch where you're going!"

"Lois, I'm sorry, I ..."

"Forget it," she said, picking up the papers with a sigh.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked.

"Lex is meeting with the DA right now. You look like crap, Clark," she added, peering at him.

"Gee, thanks."

Lois shook her head. "Look, I don't have time to deal with this right now. The DA is asking for all my notes on Morgan Edge."

"Well, I'll come with you."

Lois sighed and sent him a look as if to say, 'if you must, you must'. He followed her to the lift, then held out his hands for her papers, which she was busy trying to get in order.

"Here, let me help you," he said.

"I can do it myself."

"Lois ..."

The lift doors opened and she got in. The lift was empty. Lois dropped a couple of pages and Clark picked them up.

"Look, let me do this," he said.

Grumbling, Lois handed them over and he quickly reorganised them. She stared.

"Whoa! That'll take some getting used to," she said.

He grinned. "It's kinda nice, not having to hide it from you."

The lift signalled their floor and Lois got out, holding her hand for the now neat pile of papers. Clark walked with her down the corridor.

"Look, I know I was pretty out of it last night, but I get that you were kind of upset. I just ..."

"What's to be upset about? Maybe, I don't know, the fact that you're ..." She leaned over and whispered. "An alien!"

Clark squirmed. "Uh, I kind of prefer the term Intergalactic Traveller."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Whatever!"

"Lois, I get it, okay. You're mad."

"I'm not mad."

He frowned at her. "You're not? But last night you said ..."

"That was before I saw you get shot. Then I kind of forgot to be mad. Now, I'm just hurt."

"Which is going to be worse than mad, isn't it?"

"Well, what do you expect? First you tell me that you're ... the Bl ..." She glanced at the two reporters passing them in the corridor. "That you're the Blaine of cable tv."

She rolled her eyes as the reporters continued on. Clark frowned at her, realising she had been trying to cover up the fact that she'd just about blurted he was The Blur. Her rant continued.

"Then you tell me you're breaking up with me, all for my own good and it makes it sound like you don't even trust me, and then you run off to Zurich. I mean it's like when the going gets tough, you take off to god knows where."

"I went to Zurich to find the safety deposit box," he told her. "I found the details in Tess' papers. She managed to leave me a clue. So I went there to get the contents of the box before Lucas could get his hands on them."

"So what was in the box?"

"A journal. Written by Virgil Swann."

Lois frowned at him. "What? I thought Dr Swann was ..."

"He died about six years ago. Lionel must have stolen the diary from him. Look, can we talk about this later?"

"Fine. But you are going to sit down and tell me everything, buster!"

Lois turned away from him and walked into Lex's office. Clark entered behind her. Lex looked up.

"Oh, good, you're both here. Ms Drake, this is Lois Lane and my brother, Clark. Clark, Lois, this is Mayson Drake and Pete Ross."

Clark looked at the attractive blonde. She appeared to be a little older than him. Late twenties or possibly early thirties. The man standing next to her was African-American, of average height, and he looked a little familiar. Clark frowned.

"Pete Ross?"

So this was Lana's fiancé. Clark was puzzled.

"You're engaged to Lana," he said.

"Yeah, that's right."

"She told me you'd got a job with a local firm. She didn't say it was the DA's office."

"Yeah, it's not actually official until I pass the bar. So I'm really only assisting until then," he said. "Um, I kind of told Lana to go see you. Hope you don't mind. I just ... well, Lana always talked about you and I guess I just wanted to reassure myself that she was really over you."

Clark nodded. "Yeah. You needn't worry on that score. Even I could see that Lana really loves you."

Pete smiled, his teeth showing white against his chocolate skin. "Cool!"

Mayson cleared her throat. "Uh, so, should we get down to business?"

"Of course."

"Uh, now the Feds have also expressed an interest in this, especially with Edge being the suspected head of Intergang. And they're very interested in this recording you have, Mr Luthor."

"Please, call me Lex."

"Fine. Lex. Now, what can you tell me about the murders of Lionel Luthor and Tess Mercer?"


	33. Tess

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lois noticed through the interview that Mayson kept looking at Clark and she drew closer to him as if to give the woman a message – 'hands off'. Not that she was going to forgive Clark. Not yet.

Clark had given her a damn good scare the night before. When she'd seen his reaction to Morgan Edge, and then the Kryptonite bullet in his shoulder, she had realised that he wasn't completely invulnerable. She had never seen someone go down so fast the way he had.

They needed to talk. She wanted to know more about where he was from and what his abilities were. So far she knew about the x-ray vision, and she suspected he had the ability to generate heat of some kind. But the how and what were still a mystery to her.

She listened as Lex presented the evidence to Mayson. Lex was an extremely articulate man and he made a good case to the assistant district attorney. And by the end of it, Mayson confirmed that they did have a case. She was going to present the information to a judge to execute search warrants on both Atlantis and the Windgate. Police would arrest Morgan that day as well. If they could find him.

Lex nodded graciously as Mayson began to make moves to leave.

"Thank you for your time, Ms Drake."

"Thank you, Mr Luthor. We've been trying to get Morgan Edge on a number of crimes for years and this has been the break we've needed. My condolences on the death of your sister."

Lois noted Mayson mentioned nothing about Lionel, but then again, the man's death had been a year ago.

"Speaking of whom," Lex said, "we need to leave ourselves. The service will be starting in an hour."

Mayson nodded. "Of course." She turned and looked at Clark and Lois placed a hand on his arm. "If you can think of anything else, or if you have any questions, please call my office."

Clark nodded, his lips quirking in a little smile. He clearly knew what Lois was doing.

As soon as Mayson and Pete were gone, Lois took her hand away. Clark reached for her.

"Don't even think about it, buster. And don't you breathe one word about Mayson Drake."

"Jealous, Lois?"

Lois growled at him. "You wish!" She turned away. "If you don't mind, I have something to do before I leave for Tess' service."

"I thought we'd go together?" Clark asked. "Since Lex has provided a limo for us."

Lois ignored him and went to the door. As she left the office she heard Lex's remark.

"Man, are you in the doghouse."

"What am I supposed to do, crawl on my hands and knees and apologise?" Clark asked.

"Fly. It's faster."

Lois suppressed a giggle, but part of her was curious about Lex's comment. Clark could fly?

She went to her office, but she really had nothing left to do. She'd just wanted time away from Clark. Away from his puppy dog expression. Next thing she knew he would be whining and humping her leg or something. She sighed, chewing on her thumb nail.

She loved Clark. She really did. But sometimes he was just so pigheaded about things. So what if he wanted to protect her. Breaking up wasn't the way to do it.

Lena came in and plopped down on the other chair, sighing heavily. She was wearing a black pinafore dress that looked far too sombre for a little girl her age.

"What's wrong honey?" Lois asked.

Lena shrugged. "How come you're still mad at Uncle Clark?"

"How do you know I'm still mad at Uncle Clark?"

"Cos I heard him and Daddy talking this morning."

"Oh sweetie, I just ... look your Uncle and I just have a few things we need to sort out. But with everything else going on ..."

"I know. Daddy's really sad about Aunt Tess. He said Uncle Lucas was the one who hurt her. Are they going to arrest Uncle Lucas?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Cause I think he's mean."

"Yeah, he is." Lois glanced at her watch. "Hey, why aren't you with your Dad and Uncle Clark? They're supposed to be leaving for the service."

"Daddy said the limo would be waiting outside at a quarter to."

"It's almost that now." Lois stood up and took the little girl's hand. "Come on. We'll go down to the limo."

"Lois?" Lena asked as they walked out.

"Yeah honey?"

"Are you gonna marry Uncle Clark?"

"Well, I don't know honey. It's too early to tell."

"It's just ... I mean, I know he has Daddy, but he really likes you, and he's really sorry for what he did. It's just ... well, he told Daddy that, you know, because he's different, it's hard to find someone who makes him feel like he belongs. And he always thought he'd be alone. And then he met you and he didn't feel so alone."

"When did he say this honey?"

"Um, today."

Out of the mouths of babes, Lois thought. She might only have known the truth about Clark a couple of days, but she had never really considered that he might feel cut off from everyone else because of his differences.

That still didn't change what had happened between her and Clark. And she wasn't about to let it go in a hurry.

Lex was standing outside the limo looking anxious, but he relaxed when he saw Lena.

"There you are," he said. "I was getting worried. Are you coming with us, Lois?"

"Sure," she said. "May as well."

Lena was still holding her hand and practically dragged her into the limo. Clark was sitting in the corner, looking out the window, but he turned and looked at her as she got in. He opened his mouth to say something but she deliberately looked away. Lois made sure she sat the furthest away from him. Lena sat beside her.

Lex glanced from Lois to Clark and nodded briefly. Lois frowned at him and he sighed.

"You two really need to start communicating," he said. "I don't want any fights. Not today."

"Don't worry, Lex. I have no intention of starting something I can't finish," Clark said, his green eyes flashing.

"Speak for yourself," Lois mumbled. He looked at her and she guessed he'd heard her.

The ride to the cemetery chapel was silent. Lois just didn't know what to say to Clark without it escalating into an argument. And that was the last thing Lex needed.

She held Lena's hand as they walked into the chapel. It seemed that Lena wanted everyone close, and Lois couldn't blame her. She sighed. The last time she'd been to a funeral service had been when her mother had died. She'd felt the same way as Lena did right now.

Lois was surprised to see Oliver there, looking handsome in a black suit and white shirt.

"Hi. I didn't expect to see you here," she said as he hugged Lena.

"Yeah, I knew Tess. It was a few years ago, but we dated briefly."

"I'm so sorry," she said.

Oliver sighed. "This is one hell of a mess," he told her as Lena wandered over to where her father was talking with the minister.

"Tell me about it." Lois noticed Clark watching her and she turned away from him.

"I can see you're still mad at him. Look, Legs, I don't want to sound like I'm interfering, but you have to give the guy a break. I mean, if there's one thing that this has taught all of us, it's that life is too short to hold a grudge."

"You don't understand, Ollie."

"No, I think I understand perfectly. You want to punish him. He's not perfect. But then, are you?"

"I ..." Lois stared after him for a moment as he went to talk to Clark. She sighed.

It was bugging her. Maybe she was being a bit too harsh with him. After all, she had been scared too. She had dated other guys, but no one had ever affected her the way Clark did. That was why it had hurt so badly when he had walked out on her.

A hand touched her arm and she looked around, surprised to see Mayson Drake.

"I thought I'd come and pay my respects," Mayson said. "Uh, I know this isn't the most appropriate time, but I ... look, do you want to meet me for coffee afterward? I wanted to talk to you. About something personal."

Lois frowned at the blonde. "Um, okay. After the service. I think Clark and Lex are just going to be at the burial. Private family thing. You know."

Mayson nodded. "Looks like they're starting." She went to find a seat in the back of the chapel.

Lois sat between Lena and Clark. He glanced at her but said nothing. She glanced around, surprised to see the turnout. It seemed Tess had been very popular.

The service was simple, with the minister offering an opportunity for people who knew Tess to come up and speak. A few employees at Luthorcorp spoke warmly of a bright, gregarious woman who had been more than a boss.

Lois had half expected Lex to get up, but she supposed he felt he hadn't really known Tess well enough to say anything.

With the eulogies over, the minister ended the service with a prayer, then nodded to an assistant.

"I believe this was one of Tess' favourite songs," he said. "Thank you all for coming."

Lois felt the tears well in her eyes as she listened to the words.

_**Winter here's cold, and bitter  
>It's chilled us to the bone<br>Haven't seen the sun for weeks  
>Too long too far from home<br>I feel just like I'm sinking  
>And I claw for solid ground<br>I'm pulled down by the undertow  
>Never thought I could feel so low<br>Oh darkness I feel like letting go  
>If all of the strength and all of the courage<br>Come and lift me from this place  
>I know I can love you much better than this<br>Full of grace, full of grace, my love**_

And Lois felt Clark's hand, warm and strong over her own as he squeezed gently. She turned her hand and squeezed back, not sure if he would feel it, but he seemed to understand, quietly handing over a Kleenex. He smiled gently as she sniffed.

It was as she was standing to walk with him out of the chapel when she heard him give a disgusted snort. She looked in the direction he was staring at and gasped.

"What the hell?"

Lucas was standing in the entryway with Cat Grant.

Clark let go of her hand and strode angrily over toward Lucas. He spotted Clark and said something quickly to Cat, then ran out of the chapel, Clark in pursuit. Lois started after him but Cat caught her arm.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Why did Clark run out of here like ..."

"What's wrong?" Lois asked Cat. "Do you even know who that was?"

"Yes, he's Lucas. He's this guy I've been seeing!"

Lois scoffed. "My god, Cat, how can you be so naive."

"What? What did I do?"

"He's the guy we think murdered Tess!"

Cat stared at her, wide-eyed. "But I ..."

Lois pushed her away. "Forget it, Cat. Just get out of the way!"

She ran down the chapel steps, looking frantically around for Clark. She didn't have to look far. He was collapsed on the grass, his skin pale, his chest heaving.

"Clark!"

"He's gone, Lois," Clark said. "Goddamn it. He had ..." Clark looked around. Lex and Oliver were running toward them. "He had Kryptonite. I couldn't stop him."

Lois saw the rock on the ground. It was glowing green. She didn't know much about meteor rock, but clearly it had a debilitating effect on Clark.

"It's okay, Clark," Lex said. "Let's get you up."

Between them, Lex and Oliver supported Clark. Once they were far enough away from the meteor rock, Clark recovered. Lois looked around for Lena. To her relief, the redhead was standing with Cat, watching. Cat appeared to be in shock. She came down the steps.

"Lois, I didn't ... I mean ..."

Lois shook her head. "Lex, I think you may have found your leak."

"Yeah, I figured. Cat, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I ... Mr Luthor, I'm sorry, I didn't know ..."

"How long, Cat? How long have you been feeding him information?"

"I only met him a couple of weeks ago. Honest. He seemed so nice! I can't believe he killed Miss Mercer!"

"We don't have any proof of that, yet," Oliver told her.

Cat peered at him with a questioning look. Lex sighed.

"Oliver Queen, Cat Grant."

"Hi," she said.

"What did you tell Lucas?" Lex asked. "This is very important Cat."

"I overheard Clark and Lois talking about your bodyguard and how she would be at the fair on Saturday with them, watching over Lena. That's it, I swear!"

Lois bit her lip. Lex had said he would fire the person who had leaked the information to Lucas, thus putting his daughter in danger. She wondered if he was going to fire Cat and she took him aside.

"Lex, I know what you said the other day, but I don't think Cat did this intentionally."

"Her actions put Lena in danger, Lois."

"I know," she said, "but Cat's naive. She just trusted the wrong person, that's all."

"I'll take that under advisement," he said. He turned back to the young blonde. "Cat, I want to see you in my office on my return. Oliver, would you do me a favour and take Lena with you?"

"Sure, Lex. C'mon kiddo." Lena took his hand and seemed happy enough to go with him.

Lex turned back to Lois. "Uh, Clark and I are staying for the burial. Do you want to wait or go with Ollie?"

"Actually, Mayson Drake wanted to talk to me about something, so I'll catch a ride with her," Lois explained.

Lex frowned at her, but said nothing. Clark caught his brother's arm.

"Lex, I would rather go after Lucas."

"Clark, normally, I'd agree with you, but Lucas knows how to kill you, so I'd rather you didn't."

"I agree with Lex," Lois said. Clark frowned at her and looked like he wanted to object. She grasped his arm. "Clark, you were shot last night. I'd really rather it not happen again."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. Will you be okay, Lois?"

She nodded. "I'm just going to go for coffee with Mayson."

"We'll see you back at the office," Lex said.

Lois watched them go, knowing exactly how Clark was feeling. If she ever got her hands on Lucas, she would strangle him. Or something.

Mayson was waiting for her and she walked with the blonde to her car.

"You seem very close to the family," Mayson commented.

"Well, Clark and I have been working on the story together."

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," Mayson said as she drove away from the cemetery. "How well do you really know Clark?"

"Well enough. We're ... sort of dating."

Mayson glanced at her with a frown. "Sort of dating?"

"Well, we're not, right now. Just, uh, some issues we need to discuss."

"Oh." Mayson was silent for a few minutes as she drove in the city traffic. "Uh, so where do you want to have coffee?"

"There's a cafe not far from the Planet."

"Great," the assistant DA said.

Lois wondered what Mayson wanted to tell her, but Mayson kept the conversation to small talk until she parked near the cafe. They went in and ordered coffees.

"Lois, look, don't take this the wrong way, but you do know Clark's got a reputation, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. You make it sound like you know Clark fairly well yourself."

Mayson looked uncomfortable. "Uh, well, I ..." She blushed and looked away. "I slept with him. When I was still in law school."

Cue the climactic beat, Lois thought. No wonder Mayson had been staring at Clark during the meeting.

"Mayson," Lois began, but was interrupted by the waitress putting the coffees on the table.

"I know you think I'm warning you off him," Mayson said, stirring sugar into her coffee. "It's just ... well, for two people who are sort of dating, you don't look very happy together."

"Like I said, there are some issues. We've kind of been fighting. Well, it's not a fight, exactly, it's ... complicated."

"Aren't they all?" Mayson sighed. "Um, what about Lex? What's his story? I know he was living in Europe until about a year ago. I guess he came back when his father died. But why did he leave?"

"Lex found out he had a daughter. He left to protect her from Lionel."

"That little girl with him – that's his daughter?"

Lois nodded, sipping her coffee. "Lena. She's such a sweet kid. They're really very close. I mean, Lex has practically raised her single-handedly."

"What about Lena's mother?"

"Lex doesn't really talk about her, but I know they were married. Why are you so interested?"

Mayson leaned forward. "It's a total conflict of interest, but, is Lex seeing anyone?"

"No. No, he's not."

Lois stared at the woman. Mayson wasn't interested in Clark, she was interested in Lex!

"Oh," Mayson said. "Well, that's ... that's good." She was silent for a few moments as she sipped her coffee. "The cops have a warrant for Lucas' arrest as well as Edge," she told Lois. "I thought you should know."

"What about the Joker?" Lois asked. "He's still on the loose."

"They're doing their best to find him, but he hasn't been seen since you and Lena were kidnapped. The Toyman's in custody, but he's not talking."

"Figures," Lois sniffed. She leaned forward. "I really wish I could be there when Edge is interrogated."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. There are a lot of people in law enforcement who want to see Edge go down for this. They've been trying for years to get him on various things, but he's always managed to get out of it. It's like nothing sticks. But we have the tape now and I personally think it'll be enough for a conviction."

"I hope so."

"Otherwise, I'm hoping the search of his premises will turn up some interesting things. Do you know how they got Al Capone in the end?"

Lois shook her head. She wasn't up on her mob history.

"Tax evasion," Mayson told her. "Can you believe that? The guy was responsible for god knows how many deaths, not to mention the smuggling and bootlegging during Prohibition. And they get him for tax evasion."

"Yeah, well, let's hope we can get Edge on more than that."

"It's a good thing Lionel's dead, because he would have faced some serious questions. Whatever possessed the man to record the conversation?"

"From what the guys tell me, Lionel was a manipulative bastard. It sounds like just the kind of sneaky, underhanded thing he'd do, so if he ever needed to hold one over on Edge, he could threaten to use the tape. Probably ask for immunity or something."

"How a man like that ever became a corporate mogul ... then again, it's probably not a big surprise, is it? I'm glad to see his sons – well, Lex and Clark at least, didn't turn out like him."

"Yeah," Lois said.

Of course, she thought, Mayson didn't know the half of it, and Lois wasn't about to enlighten her on that issue.

By the time Lois got back to the office, it was late afternoon. She thought about going up to Lex's office to find out what had happened with Cat, but as she stopped in her office to drop off her bag, she saw Clark sitting in the corner. He looked up when she came in.

"Lois, look, I know you're still upset with me, but I need you to hear me out. I know you don't understand why I walked out yesterday, but I thought I was doing the right thing."

Lois stopped him, waving her hand. "I get all that. You got scared. I'm scared too, Clark. And we will talk about that, but there's something I need to ask you."

"What?"

"Mayson Drake."

Clark frowned. "What about her?"

"You slept with her."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, looking confused. "What? No, I didn't."

"She says you did. It was when she was still in law school."

Clark's frown deepened. "I ... Are you sure?"

"She seems to be. God, Clark, how many women have you been with that you forget one you've slept with."

Clark had the grace to look ashamed. "Lois, I ... you're right. When did she say this happened?"

"Well, she's been working for the DA's office for about four years."

Clark's expression suggested he was racking his brains trying to remember, then it was as if a light switch had been turned on in his brain.

"Oh," was all he said. "Um, yeah, I remember now. She, uh, was brunette then. It was about five years ago, or maybe six. Around the time Lana dumped me."

"Why did Lana dump you?"

Clark shrugged. "Some of it was because I wouldn't be straight with her, especially about my powers, but mostly because I was horrible to her." He sighed. "I have to admit that if I had had even one ounce for her of the feelings that I have for you, I might have treated her better. Fought Lionel and his brainwashing about love and emotion a bit harder. I was training with my birth father then and Lana got so pissed at me she trashed my apartment. I guess I deserved it."

"Your birth father?" Lois frowned at him. "I thought your birth parents were dead?"

"Uh, they are. It's a long story and I know I owe you some explanations, but I'd really prefer to discuss this somewhere private."

"Fine. You can cook me dinner at your apartment," Lois told him.


	34. Krypton

Chapter Thirty-Four

Shopping at a grocery store for dinner with Lois was an interesting experience. Or, maybe surreal was a better word. If Clark thought Lois hated clothes shopping, she hated food shopping even more. As soon as he'd stopped at the grocery, Lois had started fidgeting in the car. Clark had told her he was just going to be a few minutes and she could stay in the car if she wanted to. But Lois had decided that that was not practical and had tagged along.

It wasn't so much that she complained. It was just that she grabbed a cart and sped down the aisles like a swarm of bees was after her. Clark liked to take his time, make sure the produce was ripe and fresh and the meat was recently packed. And truth be told, he liked flirting with the girls who stopped to check him out. Well, he wouldn't be a guy if he wasn't flattered by the attention.

As soon as he'd stopped to check the ripeness of the strawberries on display, a girl came over to check her own produce, looking him over while she did so. Lois immediately saw and started to drag him away.

"Lois, do you want dinner or not?" he asked, wondering how he'd got himself into a situation where their roles seemed to be reversed. Where she was the one who hated shopping and he ...

"Well, you don't have to dawdle," she commented.

"It's not dawdling. I'm just trying to make sure the produce is the right freshness."

Lois frowned at him, sighing impatiently.

"Don't you have food at home?"

"I've been at Lex's the last three nights. I haven't had time to get any food." She was hopping from one foot to the other. "Will you quit that? You're jumpier than a mouse on speed."

"Why do you have to spend half an hour checking the produce? Why can't you just pick one?"

"Clearly you have no appreciation for fine food or cooking."

"Well, excuse me Gordon Ramsay."

He rolled his eyes. "You don't cook, but you know Gordon Ramsay."

Lois shrugged. "I watch Fox. Sometimes."

"I met the guy once. I stopped over in London and Lex and I had dinner together. He was sitting at the next table criticising everything about the menu and the food. Lex finally turned around and told the guy to shut up. He cursed Lex a blue streak." Clark chuckled. "You should have seen Lex's face."

"Thanks, but no. Can you hurry up?"

She was watching the girl who had been watching him.

"Jealous, Lois?"

Lois snorted. "In your dreams, Luthor. Grocery stores just make me nervous."

"Don't the Kents own a grocery store?"

"Well, that's different."

"Different how?"

"It just is," she said, practically stamping her foot.

Clark finished loading the cart with the produce and moved on to the meat section. He was planning on making a spaghetti Bolognese with green salad. He ordered enough ground beef for the Bolognese and added it to the cart. Then it was off to the wines. Clark selected a dry still red.

"What's that for?" Lois asked.

"The sauce."

"Oh."

"And for drinking."

Lois frowned at him. "I would have thought you'd have a wine cellar or something."

"To be honest, I'm not that big a wine drinker."

"No, I did notice you're more of a beer man."

"I happen to like beer."

"I would have thought ..."

"What? That I'd be more of a scotch drinker? Or that I'd have more expensive tastes? You know that saying less is more?" Lois shook her head. "Look, the point is, just because you have money doesn't mean you should flaunt it. I've learned to appreciate the value of the simpler things."

"Like what?"

"Like a sunset. Or the feel of sand between your toes as you walk along the beach."

Lois snickered. "Why, Clark Luthor, anyone would think you were a romantic."

He shook his head. "I guess when you have something that sets you apart from humanity, you see things from a different perspective than others."

Lois looked thoughtful. "I guess I never really saw it that way. I suppose I take those things for granted."

"Come on, Lois," he said. "Let's get going."

Lois was looking around the apartment as he unpacked the groceries and set up everything to start cooking.

"Well, I can see you have expensive taste," Lois said with a smile as she sat at the breakfast bar.

Clark didn't comment as he started chopping up onions for the sauce. His apartment was modestly furnished, despite the fact it was the penthouse of the building.

"So, if you're not into extravagance, why the penthouse?"

"It's easier for me to get out when I have to, uh ..." He waved his hand in a flying motion. "You know."

Lois chewed on her bottom lip.

"It's still a little weird, knowing you're the Blur. So, um, you really did save me a few times."

"Well, you do seem to have a bad habit of getting into trouble," he answered with a grin. "The first time was when you were mugged, and you nearly ended up being hit by a car. That was about a year ago."

"I don't remember that," Lois said with a frown.

"Remember a few 'near misses'? That was me."

"Wow! So I've actually known you for a year but I just didn't know it was you." She frowned. "That sounded better in my head. Now it just sounds weird."

"Something like that." Clark finished chopping the tomatoes and added the rest of the ingredients to the browned meat, then put the pasta on to cook.

"Would you like some wine?" he asked. "Or I have juice."

"A glass of wine would be nice," Lois smiled.

"Coming right up," he answered.

Clark poured the wine and came around to sit on the stool beside her, handing her the glass.

"So, I'm guessing it must have been tough, growing up," Lois said. "Were you born with the powers or did you just grow into them?"

"Well, not technically. Krypton had a red sun."

Lois frowned. "Krypton? Oh, right, the planet. So, the red sun. Does that make a difference?"

"Well, yeah, since I get my powers from the yellow sun."

"So Kryptonians didn't have powers?"

"Not that I know of. Not from what my birth father tells me."

"Yeah, you were going to explain about him."

Clark glanced in the kitchen and stood up. "Hold that thought a minute. I'm just going to check on dinner."

He gave the Bolognese a quick stir, checked the pasta was bubbling nicely, then put garlic bread in the oven to warm up. He rejoined Lois, reaching behind him for the glass of wine.

"I guess I'm doing this the wrong way around. So, I'll start at the beginning. I was born ..."

"Aren't you going to start with 'once upon a time'?"

Clark growled at her. "Stop that."

Lois chuckled. "Hey, I'm getting in while I still can."

"You are a very bad girl, Miss Lane."

"Takes one to know one, Mr Luthor."

"Can I start with the story now?"

"Yes. I'll be good."

"You sure?"

Lois made a motion as if she was zipping her lips shut. Clark still didn't trust her to keep quiet, but he took a deep breath and began again.

"I was born on a planet about fifty light years from Earth. Well, as far as I can gather. It was called Krypton. The people there had advanced way beyond those of Earth. But all that advancement led to arrogance. Kryptonians were so sure of their superiority that while they visited other planets, they were locked into their own way of life and didn't consider other civilisations might have something to offer.

"People there lived for far longer than humans. Somewhere between two hundred and two hundred and fifty years. But only because scientists had developed a cloning technique, which allowed them to harvest the organs of each clone to extend their life expectancy. If they were severely wounded in a battle or an accident, they used the cloning technique to repair their bodies."

"Eww! I don't think I like these guys." Clark sighed. He'd known it couldn't last. "So, get to the part where you happened to come to Earth."

He rolled his eyes. "Trust me, Lois, this is important."

She held up her hands. "Okay, fine. Go ahead, Mr Storyteller."

"About five hundred years before I was born, there was a man, a Kryptonian, rather, by the name of Jax-Ur."

"You mean like that guy on Xena?"

Clark groaned. "Not Joxer!" He looked at her. Lois was grinning. "You're doing this to torment me, aren't you?"

"Yup! Is it working?"

Okay, okay, so he'd screwed up when he told her he'd thought distance was the best way to protect her. But this was ridiculous!

"Jax-Ur married a woman who reminded him a lot of his mother. He eventually discovered that the woman was actually a clone of his mother. So angry at being duped, he threw her out and refused to have anything to do with her, then began a campaign with the Kryptonian Council to ban cloning. Others came out in defence of cloning, using the defence of longevity and it sparked a civil war which raged for decades. Whenever there was anything close to a resolution, someone would spark it off again.

"A hundred years later, another Kryptonian, who wanted to seize power, decided to build a weapon, which he planned to use to threaten the Kryptonian Council into accepting him as the new leader. But my ancestor, Kal-El, found the weapon and destroyed it. Or assumed he did.

"Fast forward a few centuries and we meet Major Dru-Zod, who was a friend of my father, Jor-El. They both believed that Krypton was slowly destroying itself. The environment was being poisoned. Jor-El began investigating the cause and he found that the weapon developed hundreds of years earlier hadn't been destroyed as Kal-El had originally thought. He informed Zod, telling him that if the weapon got into the wrong hands it could be turned into a Doomsday machine. As it was, Krypton's environment would become too toxic even for those in the cities."

Lois frowned. "Why? I don't get it."

"The machine was leaking radiation. It was poisoning the soil. That's why the meteor rocks make me sick. Because they contain the same sort of radiation that was making our people sick. But I'll get to that.

"Jor-El and Zod tried to convince the council to start sending people off-world. There'd been expeditions for years. Jor-El even came here once. But the council refused to listen to reason and banned all off-world travel. Zod turned on them, tried to take over the council by force and it sparked another conflict. A war which raged on for twenty years. Zod then found the Doomsday weapon.

Lois was riveted, staring at him with an expression of utter fascination.

"Jor-El eventually learned what Zod had done and he helped the council stop Zod and his followers. But it was too late to stop the weapon. Zod was put on trial and sent to an inter-dimensional prison my father created, called the Phantom Zone. Meanwhile Jor-El tried to convince the council elders to let people leave Krypton. He told them that the weapon was slowly pulling Krypton apart and eventually the planet would implode.

"At the same time, my mother, Lara, found out she was pregnant with me. Knowing the planet was facing imminent destruction, my father decided to build a lifepod for me."

"Wait," Lois said, holding up her hand. "Why didn't he build a ship for all of you?"

"Well, Jor-El was a powerful figure on Krypton and the council had already threatened to send him to the Phantom Zone if he told anyone what he believed."

"So they didn't believe him?"

"And they considered other races too inferior to share their civilisations with. But Jor-El knew that Earth would be a good home for me. He'd met some people he thought would take me in and he sent some messages to Earth hoping someone would be able to decipher them. I was about three months old, by Earth time, when they sent me out into space. And no sooner had my pod left when Krypton blew."

Lois' hand was over her mouth. "Oh my god! And he chose to stay behind! Oh, Clark, that's so sad!"

"Lex came up with the theory that some debris from the planet was attracted to the magnetic field generated by my ship and that's why the meteor shower happened back in '89."

"Who were the people your father met? The ones he thought would take you in."

"Hiram and Jessica Kent."

Lois' eyes widened. "Jonathan's parents?"

Clark nodded. "I'm guessing that Jor-El planned for the pod to land somewhere near the Kent farm, but something must have happened to send it off course."

"And Lionel found you instead."

Clark nodded. The oven timer dinged and he got up.

"Dinner," he said.

"Wait, I want to know more," Lois said insistently.

"I'll tell you more. After we've eaten. All that talking has made me work up an appetite."

But just as he'd begun to chop the vegetables for the salad, he heard the sound he'd been dreading. Someone calling out for help.

"Shit! Lois, stay here. I'll be back."

"Where you going?" she asked as he changed within a second to his Blur jacket and pants.

"Fire in an apartment building downtown. I won't be long."

He started to leave, then changed his mind. He bent and kissed her quickly, surprising her. Then sped off again.

The fire was well underway when he got there and he could hear screams from the top floor. Clark quickly located the screaming woman and ran up the stairs to the apartment where the woman was cowering from the flames engulfing the entire floor and grabbed her. He ran to the fire exit, holding her firmly to protect her from the blaze and ran down the stairs, putting her down, then turning to go back up the stairs to put the fire out.

The whole thing had taken less than two minutes. As soon as he was back downstairs, he could hear the woman yelling out.

"He saved me. The Blur saved me!"

Clark checked the building once more, but everyone appeared to be out. The fire department quickly went in to check the rest of the building and Clark felt it was safe enough to leave.

Lois was just setting the table when he returned. She'd already made the salad.

"Wow! That was quick!" she said. "I guess I'm going to have to get used to that, aren't I?"

They still needed to talk about that, but Clark remained silent.

"I'm just going to grab a quick shower," he said. "Wash the smoke out. I'll be back in five minutes."

It was less than five minutes, but Lois hadn't appeared to notice when he returned. Clark served up the dinner. Lois sat down opposite him at the table.

"This looks really good," she said. She twisted some spaghetti around her fork and took some of the sauce, making appreciative noises. "So, who taught you to cook? Was it your friend, the lumberjack?"

"No, I pretty much learned by necessity. Of course, when I was growing up, we had a cook and maids, of course. And I had a nanny."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. So you never learned to cook at home? Even at school?"

"I went to a prep school, Lois. Our lessons didn't include things like shop class and home economics."

"Oh to be you." She took some of the salad. "What about Lex? Why didn't he learn to cook?"

"Cause Lex is too lazy to get off his ass and learn how," Clark grinned. "I mean, he says it's because he doesn't have the time, with work and everything. Even when he was in the European office, he spent most of it working, although he did make sure he always had time for Lena."

"I guess that's changed since Lionel died."

"Yeah, and now that Tess ..." Clark felt a lump in his throat when he thought of the sister he'd never known and had really only met a few days before.

"You don't have to be stoic, Clark. I know Tess' death has hit you pretty hard. I mean, otherwise you wouldn't have reacted the way you did."

Clark took a sip of water and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, about that. I'm sorry, Lois. I guess ... after I found Tess, I spent the rest of the night just wandering around. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Clark, I won't pretend it didn't hurt. But I know why you did it. It was a kneejerk reaction and you hadn't really thought it through. I know your intentions were to protect me, but there's something you need to realise. And that is that you can't protect me twenty-four seven. And not being together isn't going to change that.

"You know, Ollie said something today that really made me think. You remember how I said I was looking for the perfect guy?"

Clark nodded. He still remembered her call to the cable show. At first, he had seen it as a joke, but he knew Lois had had a lot of time to think about that as well.

"I realised you were right. The perfect guy I thought I was looking for doesn't exist, but even though you're not perfect, you're the perfect guy for me. And I'm not perfect either."

They finished dinner quietly. Clark knew they still had a few things to talk about. Lois was curious about his powers, which was only natural, and he wanted to know where they went from here. As much as she appeared to have forgiven him, he knew it wasn't that simple.

Lois declined dessert and they went into the living room.

"So, tell me more about your powers."

"When I was a kid, I was strong and I could run fast. I didn't start coming into my other powers until I was fourteen. And I wasn't always invulnerable then. I didn't really get that until my late teens."

"So what else can you do?"

"I have enhanced visual capabilities which include micro-vision and x-ray."

"In English?"

"I can see through things, except lead, and I can spot anything from a distance. Even a pin on the floor."

"And you have super-hearing? Isn't that what you said on the phone? Why did you do that, by the way? Those times you called me?"

"Well, the first time, I just wanted to make sure you were safe. And the other day, I figured you might not listen to me as Clark, but you might listen to the Blur."

"Yeah, good luck," she laughed.

"Remember last night? The camera?"

"I wondered if you'd done that. So, you can set things on fire?"

"Something like that."

"I thought I heard Lex say something about flying this morning."

"Uh, yeah. I only started doing that a couple of years ago. It was the last thing I learned in my training."

"Training?"

Clark nodded. He explained about the fortress in the Arctic and the rigorous training Jor-El wanted him to do. He told Lois of the years he'd spent travelling and learning about humanity.

"So, what was it like? Growing up in the Luthor household?"

"Well, I think Dad was only interested in me for what I could do. It was my mom who convinced him to adopt me. I don't think he had much of a choice when she saw me anyway."

"What did he do? You know, when you got your powers?"

"He was always trying to exploit them. But of course, when I saw what he could do without powers, I guess I became a little afraid of them. I was sort of relieved when I went to Excelsior as it got me away from him. I spent my senior year of high school in Smallville though."

"Why?"

"Well, all my classmates at Excelsior were a lot older than me, and with Lex and Ollie not around I got bored. That's kind of when I started getting into trouble. Causing fights, that sort of thing. Dad got so pissed at me, that's when he sent me to Smallville to stay with Lex and go to Smallville High."

"What happened with your classmates?"

Clark sighed. It had always been better with Lex and Oliver around. Oliver had been seen as 'cool' by his peers and anyone who hung around him were 'cool' by extension. But then both Lex and Oliver had left for college and within a couple of years some of the other students had left, leaving Clark to fend for himself. It had been a lonely time.

"Clark?"

"Some new kids came in and they thought they were the epitome of cool. They didn't want some snot-nosed spoilt brat who was years younger than them hanging around."

"You were bullied?" Lois asked.

"I suppose I was. Even though I was strong, Dad always told me to pick my battles. No one ever won a war by attacking without subtlety, was how I think he put it."

"I sort of understand what Lena was getting at now."

Clark frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"She told me how you never felt like you fit in. Is that why you always got into trouble?"

"No, I mostly did that because I hated my father and I wanted to aggravate him."

"So you put up walls to protect yourself," Lois said.

Clark nodded. No one except Lex had been able to read him as well as Lois did.

He sat on the couch beside her, taking her hand.

"Lois, I know things have been kind of crazy the last couple of days, but I've had some time to think and you were right. What I said, it was a major cop-out. You deserved to know what you were getting into with me. And you didn't deserve for me to make the decision to walk away."

"Clark ..."

"Hear me out. I mean, you're right. I can't protect you all the time, and god knows I've tried. But you are a stubborn woman, Lois Lane."

Lois pulled away gently and got up. Clark stood up and she moved back a step from him.

"Clark, I appreciate the apology. I really do. And all the stuff you've just told me. It's just ... it's a lot to take in. I mean, you're an alien."

"Intergalactic Traveller."

"Whatever! The point is ..." She paused, looking away, chewing on her lip. "I'm not sure what my point is. I ... oh to hell with it, can we just skip it? All I know is, life is too short to hold a grudge and yeah, you acted like an idiot, but you're my idiot and I know we're probably going to make a lot more mistakes before we get things right, and I ..."

She was babbling again. And Clark knew there was only one way to stop her from babbling. So he kissed her, wrapping his arms around her as he stole her breath away.

When they finally broke apart she was panting a little.

"Thanks. I needed that," she said.

"You're right," he said softly. "We probably will make a few more mistakes before we're done, but I'm willing to give this another shot if you are."

"I am," she answered. "Besides, you still owe me a monster truck rally."

Clark groaned. He wondered when that would come up again. After all, her 'mister perfect' would take her to one.

"I should get going," she said. "We have an early start in the morning."

Clark didn't want to let her go. All he knew was that he wanted her, and he didn't want to waste any more time.

"Stay," he said.

She looked at him, her eyes searching him.

"I want to," she said hesitantly. "But I ...I'm not sure we should."

"Lois," he pleaded. "Just sleep with me. No sex, I promise. Not unless you want to."

"I can't," she answered. She stood on tiptoe and planted a tiny kiss on his mouth. "I'll get a taxi home."

Clark wanted to growl in frustration. But as much as he wanted her, he knew it wasn't the right time for them. Not with everything else going on.

"Lois," he said as she grabbed her bag and went to the door. She looked at him questioningly. "Promise me you'll call me as soon as you get home. Just so I know you got there safely."

"I promise. And you ... no Blurring, okay? You're going to have to learn to trust me some time, might as well start now. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can," he answered.

"Goodnight Clark."


	35. Joker

Chapter Thirty-Five

Lois grinned to herself as she got out of the taxi and started to walk the path to her townhouse. She wondered if Clark would go back on his word and follow her. In which case, she would seriously kick his mostly invulnerable ass.

She had to admit that a lot of what he'd told her had pretty much gone straight over her head. It would most likely take time for it all to sink in. But a lot of things made sense now. The way Clark disappeared on her sometimes. The way he acted toward people – putting up walls around himself. If she'd grown up with those abilities, she was sure she would have acted the same way. Always afraid someone would exploit them, the way Lionel had tried.

Still deep in thought, Lois didn't pay attention to the shadows as she stepped up to her front door.

"Greetings. Miss Lane."

Lois turned, her heart pounding as she heard the voice of her nightmares three nights ago. She closed her fist around her key – the new key Clark had had made for her and glared at the freak in the clown make-up.

"Joker," she hissed. "Every law enforcement officer in the county is looking for you."

"But you're the only one who matters, Miss Lane."

"What do you want from me?" she said, already moving into the defensive stance her sensei had taught her years before.

"Simple," the man grinned, his white face looking terrifying in the dark shadows. "You."

Lois saw the glint from the streetlight of the steel blade in his hand and stepped back, watching the man's face.

"Well, if you want me, come and get me," she snarled. "But you should know, I don't come quietly."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, grinning maniacally.

It was so typical of the psychotic creep to use the cover of darkness to try and jump her, but Lois had been trained by a former Green Beret, and he'd taught her to use all her senses. And unlike last time, she now had some warning.

She heard the hiss and realised Joker had some kind of spray. She quickly dodged and whirled behind him, kicking him hard in the small of his back. He turned and tried to stab at her with the knife. Lois laughed at him.

"You'll have to do better than that, you psycho."

"Aw, now that wounds me," he returned.

"Good. Maybe you'll die. Where's the rest of your crew?" she asked, continuing to circle him, yet keeping an eye out for any more.

"I've never been much of a team player," Joker smirked. "You really think you can beat me, Miss Lane?"

"Maybe not, but like I said, I'm not that easy."

"I bet that's not what you say to the Blur," he chuckled. "Where is he, by the way?"

"I don't need the Blur to fight my battles for me," she told him.

"Huh," a voice said from the shadows. "You two seemed pretty cosy to me. Or was I mistaken when I saw you giving him a lap dance last night?"

Lois whirled to face Lucas, then cried out as something heavy hit her on the back of her head. Then she was falling, her vision greying at the edges.

She woke slowly, her head pounding and an acrid odour in her nostrils. She coughed, lifting her head up so suddenly it began to feel like someone was using a pile driver on it. Her vision swam for a moment and she tried to move her arms, only to realise they were in the air above her.

Lois looked up. Her wrists were tied together and the bonds were attached to a large hook, which appeared to be connected to a pulley. She struggled, kicking out. A look down at her feet told her she was suspended about two feet off the ground. She was in what was probably the goods storage area of a warehouse. More than likely the sweat shop she and Clark had investigated the week before.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was beginning to think you'd be out forever."

Lois glared at the freak in clown make-up.

"Let me go, you psycho!"

Joker tsked at her. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but ..." he intoned in a singsong voice.

Lois tried to kick out at him, but she was suddenly lifted up higher. The strain on her arms increased as they were forced to take all her weight. She saw someone standing by the doorway, pulling on a heavy chain.

Joker was pushing a huge vat underneath her.

"Like it? Just a little something I cooked up."

Lois realised the odour had been coming from the vat. It appeared to be some kind of green acid.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, you know the old saying about killing two birds with one stone," he grinned. "I mean, I would have liked to have taken out Batsy as well, but can't win 'em all. Call him. I know he'll hear you."

"Call who?" Lois asked, although she knew very well who he wanted her to call.

"Call the Blur, Lois. Or you'll find yourself having a nice bath. In acid."

Somehow they had rigged the pulley so it would drop an inch every few minutes. Lois stared in horror at the acid below her. Steeling herself, she lifted her head up and glowered at the Joker.

"If you think I'm calling for the Blur, you've got another think coming. I won't do it."

The Joker appeared to be thinking this over. He shrugged and turned away, going to stand at the entrance, leaning against the doorframe, appearing nonchalant.

Where the hell was Oliver, she thought. Or Batman, for that matter, since they were both supposed to be looking out for her. Unless they were tied up on something else. And knowing Lucas, he probably had his men creating chaos somewhere else.

She was going to have to figure a way out of this herself. Question was, how? There was no way she could call for Clark. There was probably meteor rock mixed with the acid in the vat, which was probably why Joker was so keen on her getting Clark there.

"Come on, Lane," she told herself. "Think."

The chain dropped another inch and she felt the drop in her arms. She wouldn't be able to lift them when this was over.

She looked down at the vat, wondering how heavy it was. Could she knock it over, she wondered.

"You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?" Joker commented.

"Go to hell you freak!"

"Call him," Joker ordered.

"Why? You're going to kill me anyway. Why should I give you the satisfaction?"

She began kicking her feet, hoping the chain would drop enough so she could hit the vat, but it seemed Joker was onto her.

"That won't work," he told her smugly. "It's too heavy to tip over. Call the Blur."

"No!"

Joker pulled out a gun and aimed it at her. "Call him. Now! Or I'll shoot you."

"Go ahead," she hissed. "I'm not going to call him."

Joker smirked. Lois stared as he aimed the gun at her head. Suddenly what appeared to be a tazer dart hit Joker in the chest. At the same time, an arrow hit the Joker's man in the shoulder. His body convulsed, his eyes drooping and he collapsed to the ground. The Joker just giggled until he was hit with another dart. Then he too fell to the ground.

"Lois?"

Lois sagged in relief, hearing Clark's voice.

"Be careful," she called out. "I think there's meteor rock in the ... in the ..."

Batman jumped down from wherever he'd been hiding and nodded to Oliver. Together the two of them pushed the vat out of the way so Clark could get in and lift her. He quickly released her arms.

"Ow, god, that hurts," she said, shaking her arms. Clark rubbed her shoulders to help ease the ache. Lois looked up at Batman and Ollie. "How did you guys find me?"

"Well, Bart was assigned to watch over your place."

"Bart. Have I met him?" she asked.

"Yeah, last night. He was keeping Lena entertained."

"Oh, yeah. So where was he?"

"He apparently stepped out to get something to eat and by the time he realised something was wrong, you'd already been taken," Oliver explained. "I had one of the team patrolling this neighbourhood and she happened to spot the Joker's men. So she alerted us."

"What did he want?" Clark asked Lois.

"He wanted me to call for you. I guess Lucas wanted him to kill both of us."

"Yeah, well, Joker won't be going anywhere for a long time," Bruce growled. He'd revealed his other persona to her the night before. Reluctantly, however. "I'll make sure he stays in Arkham this time."

"What about Lucas?" Oliver asked. "Where was he?"

"I don't know," Lois told him. "He was at my place but when I woke up here he wasn't around."

"We'll find him," Clark said, sounding confident. "We'll find him. In the meantime, I should get you home."

"We'll meet back at Watchtower in the morning," Oliver said. "After I give Bart a dressing down for abandoning his post."

Lois smiled at Oliver and Bruce as Clark began to gently lead her away.

"Thank you for saving me," she said.

"I'm sure you would have figured out how to save yourself sooner or later," Bruce answered with a rare smile. "We just saved you some time."

Lois giggled. "Damn right." She yelped as Clark lifted her in his arms. "Clark!"

"Sorry, Lois, but I need you to hold tight."

And suddenly they were moving at an incredible speed. Lois squeezed her eyes shut against the feeling of vertigo, thus she was unaware they had stopped.

"You can open your eyes now," Clark said, amusement in his tone.

She looked around. They were back at Clark's apartment.

"Wow!" she said. "You really are fast, aren't you?"

"And I was only moving at half speed," he grinned. "You'll stay here tonight. At least until I can sort something out with the guys. I'm not letting you go back to your place alone. Not while Lucas is still at large."

"My, you're so commanding," she said.

"Funny," he returned. He led her into his bedroom and opened another door. "Master bathroom. Why don't you grab a quick shower while I make up the bed in the spare room."

Lois frowned at him. Then guessed he was trying to be a gentleman about this. She did as he suggested and showered. Her arms were still aching a little but the hot water helped her sore muscles.

She saw a robe draped over the vanity when she stepped out of the shower and assumed Clark had left it there for her. She slipped it on and went out. He wasn't in the master bedroom, emerging from another door as she entered the little hallway.

"You okay?" he asked.

"A little sore," she said, trying to flex her tired muscles.

He took her hand. "Come on. I have something that will help."

She let him lead her into the spare room. It was smaller than the master bedroom, with a double bed.

"Lena sometimes stays here," he told her. "Especially when Lex has to go out of town."

"It's nice," she said, glad for the plain furnishings and the cream comforter on the bed.

"Yeah, Lena doesn't like frills and nonsense. She's still a bit of a tomboy."

"So was I, at her age."

"Lie down on the bed. On your stomach. Um, you might want to take the robe off though."

Lois frowned at him. She wasn't wearing anything under the robe. He grinned.

"It's okay, I won't look. Not that I'm not tempted, trust me. It's just, it would be easier for me to massage this stuff into your arms with the robe off."

"I knew that," she told him hastily, doing as he suggested. Clark had pulled the covers back and she lay flat on the bed while his back was turned.

She felt the bed dip behind her and the warmth of Clark's hands as he began to massage her shoulders. Her skin began to feel even warmer and there was a distinctive smell.

"What's that? Smells almost like menthol."

"It's Tiger Balm. The Chinese use it for a number of things. It's good for muscle strain."

"Wow, that's hot. It feels good though," she said, feeling the medicine working its way into the muscles. Clark was gentle but firm as he massaged her shoulders, then the tops of her arms.

"I, uh, dated this woman once who liked to use it during sex."

Lois almost choked.

"Sex? What would you ..." Realisation dawned. "Um, so I'm guessing you, uh, like it a little more wild cherry than vanilla?"

"Well ..." His voice dropped an octave. "It depends on who I'm with."

Lois had a sudden flash of what it would be like playing those kind of sex games with Clark. She knew he wasn't exactly uninhibited, but there was uninhibited and then there was kinky. She figured it was best dropping the subject.

Clark continued to massage her until Lois felt her eyelids drooping.

She was asleep before he finished.

Next morning, she rolled over in bed to find it was already after eight. She wondered what had woken her.

"She's fine. She's still asleep. We'll be in when we can Lex. I'd rather let her sleep as long as possible."

Lois stretched and got out of bed, putting on the robe which had been hung up on a hook on the door.

Clark was clearly surprised to see her out of bed.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," she said.

"How are you feeling?"

Lois flexed her arms. They weren't sore. The balm he'd used had done the trick.

"I feel great," she said. "I think that was the best sleep I've had in ages."

"Well, we don't need to rush to get into work," he told her. "I told Lex we'd be in when we can."

Lois nodded. She started to walk past him to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee and he grabbed her hand. She looked up at him, unblinking. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

"I guess you were worried about me last night," she said when they broke apart.

"I won't lie and say I wasn't concerned," he answered. "Especially when I heard you'd been taken by Joker. And that's something I want to talk to you about. Why don't you grab yourself some coffee and we can sit down."

Lois poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table opposite him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Lois, I don't want to sound over-protective, but I really don't think you should be on your own. At least, not until we find Lucas."

"Are you suggesting I stay here?"

"Well, actually, I was sort of thinking you'd be more comfortable if you stayed with the Kents. I mean, I don't want to pressure you into anything you're not ready for, and if you stayed here I'd be tempted to ..."

"Clark, I appreciate what you're trying to say, but I can take care of myself. And you have the guys patrolling."

"Yes, but last night ..."

"I'm sure Bart didn't mean to abandon his post," she assured him.

"He still shouldn't have done it. Lois, I know you think I'm being a worrywart, especially having the guys patrol your neighbourhood, but experience has demonstrated that right now it's a necessary evil."

"Now, wait, hold up, I get why you want the guys around, watching me, and while that isn't exactly making me comfortable knowing that, I do understand it. But I am not going to stop living my life just because your psycho brother is out to kill me. He just as much said he wants you dead as well. And he knows how to kill you. So the only way I'm going into any kind of seclusion is if you do too."

"I can't just stop being the Blur, Lois."

"And I can't stop being Lois Lane! Don't you see? This is who I am, and I'm not going to change just because some jerk is getting in line to try to kill me. Trust me, it's a very long line."

Clark sighed as Lois finished her coffee. The argument was clearly not over, but Lois decided it was better to drop it now.

"I'm going for a shower. And Ollie said something about meeting at Watchtower?"

"Yeah. Uh, do you want me to go pick up some clothes from your place?"

"Thanks," she said. "That would be great."

She didn't need to tell him what she wanted to wear to work that day. She trusted his judgment. Lois went to take a shower. By the time she was out, Clark was back, holding the same bag he'd used to bring her clothes at the hospital.

Lois dressed quickly, eating the bagel Clark had also bought from the bakery, then followed him out to the elevator. Within a few minutes they were at Watchtower.

Chloe hugged her when she came in.

"Glad you're okay cuz," she said.

"I'm fine."

Bart came over, looking suitably chastened.

"Sorry gorgeous, I, uh, I got hungry."

"It's fine, Bart. Really. I'm okay." She looked around and only saw Oliver and Victor. "Where's Bruce?"

"He's making sure Joker's locked down at Arkham," Chloe answered. "He'll be back later. So, any clues on what rock Lucas might be hiding under?"

Lois watched as Chloe went to work on the Watchtower computers. She glanced at Clark, then nodded in the direction of the couch.

"What is it?" he asked, following her and sitting down.

"I think we needed to talk. Well, talk more, I mean. About this morning. And ... last night."

"Lois," he began, holding his hand up. "I know what you're going to say. I know I'm being over-protective boyfriend, and that I need to learn to trust you more and you're right. It's just ... well, I hope you'll forgive me. I mean, I like worrying about you."

"I wish you'd stop," she said with a weak smile.

"Please bear with me, Lois. It's just ... I've never been in love before, and a lot of this is new to me. I mean, I'm used to protecting Lex, and Lena. But Lena's still a child, and Lex – well, he doesn't exactly go out and look for trouble. And I'm not admonishing you. I mean, one of the things I love about you is that you don't do things by half measures. You go out there and you ... you know, put all your energy into whatever it is you're doing. It's what makes you a good reporter. Because you're not like everyone else. You don't just stand back and provide commentary. You're in the thick of it. You set an example. And yeah, that gets you into trouble, but I can't help but admire that about you. I mean, you're beautiful, brilliant, and you ..."

Lois looked at him in a daze.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she said incredulously.

"I kinda thought that was obvious."

"Well, uh ..."

Clark grinned and kissed her. Oliver called them over.

"Hate to interrupt the love fest guys, but we still have to come up with a plan to out Lucas."

"I think the best we can do is try to pool all the information we have on Lucas and use it to track him," Clark said, joining his friend. "Bart, you and Vic take to the streets. Talk to everyone in grid four," he added, pointing to an area of the map Chloe had up on the main screen.

Lois saw what he meant by grid four. It was an area of a two-block radius where Marionette Ventures had been buying properties.

"Chloe, see if you can get into the city property records and send us whatever you find. Even if it's a vague reference."

"Understood."

Lois frowned for a moment. Clark acted as if he was the boss of this little group. But she supposed in many ways he was, since he had the most abilities of any of them.

"Also, see if you can find any property that might be a facility big enough to hold anyone with a meteor power. Meantime, Lois needs to be at work and we're going to talk to Cat. See if she can give us any leads on Lucas."

"On it, boss," Bart said.

Lois studied Clark as they made their way to the Planet.

"What?" he asked.

"Is it always like that? With the others? I mean, they sort of look to you as their leader."

"I suppose I am," he said. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, it just ... seems right, you know? Like leadership is something you were born to do."

"Lex said something to me that kind of made a lot of sense. It's not something innate. Heroes are usually made in the moment. I mean, say a guy saves the life of a child, but he's spent his own life stealing from others. Does that make his actions saving that life any less heroic? It's not a vocation. It's a choice, I guess. I mean, Lionel raised me to use my powers against others – like I'm better than them. I'm not. I mean, I may not be human in my physiology, but I am human in my thought processes. I love, I laugh, I cry, I fuck, I get angry ... human beings raise heroes to be on some pedestal. But a hero shouldn't be defined just by their deeds. I mean, you can meet a guy who might be one of the strongest in the world, but when faced with a crisis, would he meet it head on or would he cave?

"That's sort of what I meant by what I was saying before. Lois, you might have no powers, but you're still a hero. To your readers, to the people whose lives are changed by the stories you write."

Lois blushed. "I never really thought of myself that way. I didn't really think I was making that much of an impact."

"You've already changed my life," he told her.

"As you've changed mine," she answered.

Clark drove into the parking space in the basement of the Planet and got out.

"Come on. Lex will be waiting for us."

"Lex is a very hands-on boss. Notice that?"

"Yeah, he cares about his employees. It's the thing that sets him apart from Lionel. And Lucas."

Cat was sitting in Anna's office looking extremely uncomfortable. She looked up at them miserably.

"He's not going to fire me, is he? I mean, yesterday, he ..."

"That was yesterday, Cat," Lois said gently. "By the way, what did happen when you guys got back?"

"He just wanted to know how I met Lucas. I didn't know, I swear I didn't. I never would have put that sweet girl in danger."

"Lex knows you didn't do it on purpose," Clark assured her. "You were just naive. Lucas can be charming when he wants to be. I'm glad you're here, actually. We need to talk to you."

Cat looked interested. She stood up as Lex's door opened.

"Thought I heard you two. All three of you come in."

They entered his office.

"I'll save you the lectures," Lex said. "And I've already heard from Batman what happened last night."

Cat looked curiously at them. "What did happen?"

"Never mind," Lois told her. She looked at Clark, then Lex, who nodded.

She didn't want to talk about what had happened the night before. In all honesty, she was getting sick of being made a target by Lucas and his psycho friends. She was more determined now than ever to make sure that Lucas got what was coming to him.


	36. Arrest

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lois gave an audible sigh which sounded a lot like frustration.

"You know what? Lucas is really starting to piss me off. I mean, it's not enough that he tries to control City Hall. But he has to try to kill you, and me and he tried to hurt Lena."

Clark understood exactly what she meant. But the danger there was, with Lois so angry, she was liable to do something drastic.

"Cat, why don't you start with telling us how you met Lucas," Clark told the blonde gently.

"Well, I was in the park, with my little boy, and he came and sat next to me. We got to talking and he was really sweet and nice. Not like, you know, Adam's dad. I mean he could be really sweet when he wanted to be too, but he could be really mean, and Lucas didn't seem like that." Her eyes widened. "Oh god, does this mean I'm one of those girls who always, you know, attracts guys like that ..."

She started rambling about the types of guys she often dated.

"Cat ..." Lex interrupted. "We need to know about Lucas!"

"Oh," she said, blushing. "Um, well, he asked me to dinner, and we did that a few times. I even had dinner at his apartment."

"Address?" Lex barked. Cat shrunk in terror.

"Um ..."

Lois was looking from Lex to Cat. She then glanced at Clark, her expression one of frustration. Clark shot his brother a look to get him to back down.

"Cat, it's very important that we get as much information as we can. And we need the address."

Cat nodded. "I'm so sorry about Miss Mercer," she said. "I didn't know. He just said his last name was Dunleavy."

"I know, Cat," Clark said gently. "Tell us what you talked about."

"Well, Lucas was asking questions about the Blur, really. What I thought of him, whether I'd actually talked to him."

"And you didn't think that was weird?" Lois asked.

"A lot of people are interested in the Blur," Clark told her, shooting her a look.

Cat seemed reassured by that. "I really didn't mean ... if I'd known, I never would have told him about the weekend, I swear to you, Mr Luthor," she begged Lex.

Lex held up a hand. "I appreciate that, Cat, but the fact is, my daughter was nearly killed. I hope you understand the gravity of the situation."

Cat nodded enthusiastically. "I do, oh, I do. Please don't fire me, Mr Luthor. I love my job."

"You're not fired, Cat, but I would suggest you be a bit more discerning in who you choose to impart information to in future."

"Yes sir. I will. Thank you."

Cat wrote down the address of Lucas' apartment and left. Clark took the slip of paper.

"Clark," Lex said. "You know, this is either a trap or a dead end."

"And maybe Lucas got careless and left something behind. Come on, Lois, let's go check it out."

Lois didn't seem so certain as they entered the lobby of the building.

"Are you sure about this, Clark? What if Lex is right and this is a trap?"

"I know, Lois," he said, trying to be reassuring. "But don't you want this over? We have to try every lead we can get."

"But don't you think Oliver and the others might ..."

Clark touched the communicator in his ear. "I can contact them if I need to," he said softly. He took her hand. "We'll do this quickly, okay?"

"Okay."

He held her tightly as he sped up the stairs to the tenth floor where Cat said Lucas had lived. He knew it was a long shot, but he had hoped that Lucas might not have had time to get rid of anything. Especially since they'd only learned the day before that Lucas had been conning Cat.

Clark did feel sorry for the girl. Cat had been rather naive. And he hoped she would take Lex's words to heart. She hadn't meant anything malicious by it. But she had been too trusting, and that was a hard lesson for her.

Lois was breathless by the time he set her down at the top of the stairs.

"Uh, yeah, let's not do that when we go back down," she said. "It takes a bit of getting used to."

Clark grinned. "Okay."

The door to the apartment was wide open and it was just as Clark had feared. The apartment had virtually been ransacked. Drawers were hanging open, closets were cleaned out and the only items left were the pieces of furniture which Lucas had obviously leased with the apartment.

"Damn!" Lois sighed.

"Well, it was a long shot," he answered. He x-rayed each of the rooms but there was nothing that he could see.

"Maybe we better just check. Just in case he's left something behind."

"I've already used my x-ray vision," Clark answered. "There's nothing here."

"You could still have missed something," Lois returned. She went into one of the bedrooms and he heard the sound of her checking cupboards and drawers.

With a sigh, he went into the other bedroom and began looking through the closet, making sure there was nothing that he might have missed. Although he doubted it.

He went back out a couple of minutes later to find Lois checking the cupboards in the kitchen.

"There's nothing here, Lois," he said. "I guess it was a wild goose chase after all."

But just as he turned to leave, he heard a small sound. It would never have been detected by the human ear, but it seemed to generate at an ultra-high frequency. Clark gasped.

"Lois!" He ran to the kitchen and grabbed her, just as the room exploded in a huge fireball. Lois automatically threw up her hands to cover her face.

Time slowed almost to a standstill as Clark ran through the flames, holding Lois tightly, his arms covering her face to protect her. Each particle seemed to moving at slower than even a micro-second. Clark sped out of the apartment and down to the alleyway behind the building so they were out of sight of anyone who happened to pass by.

An alarm rang out shrilly as tenants in the other apartments realised what was happening. Clark quickly made sure Lois was okay.

Her hair was dishevelled and she had a black mark on her forehead, but it appeared to be soot.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, still a little out of breath. "You need to help them," she said, indicating the tenants upstairs.

"Stay here," he told her.

She nodded again. "Go!"'

Clark ran up the stairs again to the tenth floor. The explosion had taken out half of the level, but to his relief he noted that there were no casualties. Most of the apartments on that floor had been empty. Those who had lived furthest away from the apartment had escaped the blast.

He helped the remaining tenants out of the building, making sure there was no one else on the floor above as well, then ran back to the apartment. Drawing air into his lungs, he used his icicle breath to douse the flames.

Hearing the sirens of the fire department, Clark sped back downstairs to the alleyway. Lois stepped out from behind a dumpster.

"Someone came down here. I think they might have been looking for me, so I hid behind the dumpster."

Clark nodded. "Good girl. Come on. We need to get to Watchtower." He took her hand. "Are you okay for me to fly?"

"Yeah," she said, putting her arms around his neck. "Let's go."

Clark launched himself in the air, keeping Lois cocooned within the safety of his arms. It was the first time he'd really flown with anyone else but it felt like the right time to do it. And Lois didn't seem to be too nervous by it. She clung to him, but not tightly, looking around.

"Wow, Clark," she said.

He just barely heard her over the wind in his ears, but he could hear the wonder in her voice. He grinned down at her. One day he would like to take her flying and show her the beauty of her world, his adopted world.

Within a couple of minutes, he landed at Watchtower. Chloe looked up from her console. Bruce was still in Gotham, but Chloe had elected to stay behind. She'd taken some well-earned vacation time from her job.

"What's up?" she asked.

"We were investigating Lucas' apartment," Clark told her as he set Lois down gently.

"Is that where I saw an explosion reported a few minutes ago?" the blonde asked.

"That's it," he nodded. "Right before the explosion I heard something, like on an ultra-sonic frequency."

Chloe immediately set to work on the computer.

"You're thinking the bomb might have been set off remotely," she said. "I'll see if I can find the signal and track it back to its source."

Clark grinned at her. "I was so hoping you'd say that."

Clark had to admit it was great working with Chloe again, and on good terms, even if the circumstances weren't so great. She had always been exceptionally smart and she was able to pick up various concepts quickly.

He was also glad they'd been able to put the past behind them. The last thing he wanted was for continued hostility because of what he'd done to her, especially now.

Lois put her hand on his arm.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

"Honestly? That I'm glad Chloe and I have managed to put the past behind us."

Lois smiled gently and didn't comment. They watched Chloe type busily on the computer. Clark's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Lex."

"Thank god you're okay," Lex said. "Is Lois with you?"

"Yeah. We're fine. I guess you heard about the explosion."

"I did warn you it might be a trap."

"You can save the 'I told you so's' for later. Chloe's tracking down a signal for us."

"What signal?"

"I think the bomb was detonated remotely."

"Well, keep on it."

"We plan to."

Chloe looked up at him from the computer and grinned up at him.

"Let me guess. Lex was worrying?"

"He worries a lot these days," Clark sighed. "How's it going?"

"It's taking a little time to narrow it to find it, but I think I'm almost there." She typed in a few more commands on the keyboard and brought up a map on the screen. "This is the best I can do," she said. "The signal had a fairly short range. No more than a couple of kilometres. I've narrowed it down to this area here," she added, circling the map on the screen.

"Can you narrow it down any more than that?" Clark asked.

"I'll cross reference it with everything we have on Lucas and Marionette Ventures. That might be able to tell us something."

She typed in a few more commands on the computer, working quickly.

"Nothing directly connecting it to Lucas, but here's something interesting."

"What is it?" Lois asked, moving to look over Chloe's shoulder.

"There's an unused pharmaceutical company about four blocks from the apartment. It's called Metron Pharmaceuticals. Lionel bought the company then closed it down a couple of years before he died."

Clark frowned. He'd never heard of the place. And what interest would Lionel have had in a pharmaceutical company?

"Why was it closed down?" he asked.

"Says here that it was under investigation by the FDA for the sale and distribution of pharmaceuticals not approved by the FDA. They were working on a particular drug at the time called CL89 which was purported to regenerate diseased organs. But the FDA claimed the trials failed to produce any viable results."

"Maybe Lucas is trying to start up the trials again," Lois suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Clark said. "I'm going to go check it out."

"I'm going with you," Lois told him.

Clark knew very well by now that once Lois made up her mind about something, there was no changing it. And he knew if he didn't take her along, she'd figure out a way to get there anyway.

The building which had once housed Metron Pharmaceuticals was run-down. Many of the windows were broken and the wood was rotting with age and dampness. Clark glanced at Lois as they walked around the building, checking it out, having decided on a cautious approach. Lois shrugged.

Clark activated his x-ray vision. There appeared to be a laboratory in the far corner of the building. And at least three people were standing talking. He focused his vision. One of them was Lucas.

Lois grabbed his arm and he pulled back, looking at her. He realised what was up when she pointed to the east side of the building. Someone was coming. From what Clark could tell, it was just one person. Without warning, Lois dashed out. Clark tried to pull her back but she rounded the corner. The man didn't even have time to yell.

Clark ran around the corner to find Lois had landed a hard punch, knocking the uniformed guard out. She grabbed the gun from his holster. Clark felt the unmistakeable tingle from Kryptonite.

"Kryptonite bullets," he whispered, and she nodded.

She hesitated, her fingers curling around the butt of the gun. Clark waited, wondering what she would do. Then she seemed to come to a decision and took out the clip, unloading the Kryptonite bullets.

"They don't have to know it's not loaded," she said softly, reloading the empty clip. She put the bullets down on the ground and Clark stepped just out of range, focusing his heat vision to melt the bullets.

"Let's go," he said, looking up and quickly making sure there was no one else around. Judging from the sound of the guard's heart rate, he would be unconscious for a while.

There was a whoosh behind them and Clark turned to look at a grinning Bart.

"Hey Stretch," he smirked.

"Not so loud, Impulse," he told the other man. "What are you doing here?"

"You forgot your comlink. And Chloe told me where you were. Aquaman and Arrow are on their way."

"We don't have time to wait for them. I would say Lucas is expecting me."

"Where is he?" Lois asked.

"There's a lab in the southwest corner." Clark studied them, thinking hard for a moment. "Okay, I'm going in. Alone," he added for emphasis, looking hard at Lois.

"Clark, there's no way I'm going to let you ..."

"Lois, if he has Kryptonite, then I can't protect you in there. But if he thinks I'm alone ..."

Comprehension dawned in her expression. "... then we might just have the element of surprise. Okay, liking this plan."

He kissed her, a kiss of promises made and yet to be fulfilled.

"Bart, back her up. How long until the others get here."

"Five minutes, tops," Bart told him.

"I'll do my best to stall."

Bart grabbed his arm, then took a comlink out of the pocket of his hooded jacket.

"Consider this your primary backup."

"Thanks," Clark said, taking the small device and putting it in his ear. He glanced again at Lois, then nodded and leapt for the roof, hovering just above and making his way slowly to the southwest corner. Just as he reached the skylight above the lab, he spotted something in the corner. It appeared to be a small cell, with the only light source from the skylight above.

"Oh no," he whispered.

The walls must have been lead-lined, otherwise he figured he would have seen what was happening. But he couldn't think about that now, he decided. He had to take out Lucas first.

Clark focused his heat vision, careful not to break too many panes of glass in case they fell over the little cell. He could see Lucas looking up with a smirk on his face. Clearing a space large enough for him to jump through, Clark landed on the floor of the lab.

Immediately he began to feel the crippling effects of Kryptonite. Lucas tsked at him.

"I never took you for a fool, little brother," he said. "You had to know I was expecting you. I figured you'd track me down."

Clark fought against the waves of pain and nausea, conscious of the way his veins were bulging black and green, his blood boiling.

"And you know I had to come. Let them go, Lucas. This is between you and I."

"Au contraire mon frère. They have everything to do with this. Did you know Lionel had a file dedicated to our dear brother? And his bastard. Of course, what those files failed to tell me was that the whore who gave birth to the little monster was just as much of a monster herself."

Clark frowned at him. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Lucas looked surprised. "Didn't you know?" He nodded to one of the men standing beside him. "Bring the bitch out here."

Clark watched, his mind filled with questions as the man went to the little cell and opened the door. He pulled out a tall, dark-haired woman.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Clark could hear crying from the cell and he desperately wanted to go to them. To protect them. The woman came out reluctantly.

"Helen," he said.

He hadn't seen Helen Bryce for nine years. Not since Lex had forced her to leave the mansion.

"Clark? Is that you?" He nodded. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I never meant ..."

"It's not your fault."

"I should have told Lex the truth. I ... I got exposed to meteor rock when I worked at Smallville Med. I had no idea what it meant until I became pregnant with Lena. I swear to you, I had no idea I was one of those meteor freaks."

Clark shook his head. "Helen, you don't owe me or Lex anything." He turned back to Lucas. "Let them go."

"Ah, now you see, I can't do that. Helen's a meteor freak, and so is Lex. And Lena, well, she's just the icing on the cake, now isn't she?"

"Lena doesn't have any powers. She's just a kid."

"Maybe they haven't shown yet, but they will," Lucas smirked.

"You sick, psycho son of a bitch. You're planning on experimenting on her."

"Lionel was planning on doing the same," Lucas said with a shrug. "He was just waiting until Lena's abilities began to manifest themselves. Then I came back into the picture and Lionel decided he couldn't wait."

"Why?"

"Because Edge and I were looking into creating our own group of meteor freaks. Imagine what people could do with all those abilities Clark. They'd be almost invincible. There'd be no fight we couldn't win."

"So you approached the military with the proposal and Lionel heard about it."

"And he sent someone after Lena in Europe. Only Lex and that bitch got in the way," he said, nodding to Mercy, who was lying unconscious near the cell.

So that was the incident Lex had talked about when Mercy had saved his life. Lionel had tried to kidnap his own grand-daughter.

"You bastard!" Clark growled. He moved forward, only to be cut down by a heavy dose of Kryptonite.

Lucas grinned at him, holding up a hand. Clark, his vision hazy with the pain, saw a silver ring with a green stone on his finger.

"Like it?" he said, waving his hand. "I admit, it's a little too gaudy, even for my taste, but it gets the job done, wouldn't you say?"

"Clark, what ..." Helen began. But Clark groaned in pain, doubling over. He was still fighting it. Still trying to stop Lucas in spite of it.

"It's a shame you had to work against me, Clark," Lucas said. "With your abilities and my brains, we could have been a formidable team. I was hoping old Swann's journal would lead me to the device to control you, but ... as they say, c'est la vie."

Lucas produced a gun, aiming it at Clark. Meanwhile, the man who had brought Helen out had gone back into the cell. Helen saw what he was going to do and she screamed.

"Not my daughter, you bastard!"

She ran to him, looking as if she was preparing to claw his eyes out. Clark was in too much pain to stop her. Helen struggled with the man, fighting for control of his gun. There was a loud bang and Helen fell to the floor.

All hell let loose as an arrow came from nowhere, hitting the man who had shot Helen in the chest. He staggered, his eyes going wide as his body began to shudder while twenty-thousand volts hit every nerve ending.

Lois ran in. "Drop the gun, Lucas," she shouted.

Lucas turned, his gun aimed at her. But just as he prepared to shoot, the gun disappeared from his hand. He stared in shock.

Impulse stood at the far end of the lab, grinning cheekily.

"Lo siento amigo."

AC, meanwhile, had thrown the second guard aside and was heading to the little cell where Lena could be heard screaming. He flung open the door.

"It's okay, honey," he said. "You're safe now."

Lois had picked up the other two guns.

"Clark?"

"Throw them in there," he said, still grunting with the pain. He nodded to the little cell. "The walls are lead-lined. That's why I couldn't see Lena and Helen until too late."

Lois looked down at Helen, her eyes widening in shock, but she did as he ordered. Oliver had come in and was kneeling down by Helen's side.

"It looks bad, Clark," he said.

Lucas was laughing. Clark turned on his brother.

"Something about this is funny?" he asked.

"You really think you've won, don't you? I'll still get off. You should know, Clark. You can't keep a Luthor down."

"You should have been drowned at birth, you shitty little Judas," Clark growled.

Lucas lunged for him, but Lois got there first, hitting him with the butt of the unloaded gun she'd taken from the first guard. Lucas was down for the count. She looked up and grinned at Clark.

"Clark?"

Oliver had stripped off his gloves, removing his hood and glasses, and was trying to staunch the flow of blood from Helen's wound. But Helen stared back at him, glassy-eyed, shaking her head. She beckoned Clark weakly.

"Clark."

He knelt down, taking her hand.

"Helen. Save your strength. Help is on the way."

"It's too late," she whispered. "I am a doctor, you know. Please, take Lena out ... I don't want her to see." She coughed, spitting out bright red blood.

Clark looked at AC, who had Lena in his arms. AC nodded without even being asked.

"Mommy?" Lena asked.

"It's okay, honey," Clark told his niece. "AC will take good care of you. We'll take care of your mommy."

Lena nodded, her tear-streaked face sober, her eyes, so much like her father's, huge with pain and fright. Clark could tell from her expression that she knew. He watched them leave, tuning in with his super-hearing. He could hear Lex outside talking to J'onn J'onzz. Officers were preparing to enter the building.

"Clark?" Helen whispered. "I want you to ... tell Lex I'm sorry. For everything. I did love him, and Lena. He's done ... an amazing ..."

Helen broke off mid-sentence, her eyes glazing over. Clark knew she was gone.

Within minutes, they were surrounded by police officers and emergency workers. Mercy was lifted onto a stretcher to be taken to hospital. Clark put his arm around Lois and walked with her outside to see Lex holding Lena tightly as she cried in his arms. Lucas was brought out in handcuffs and Lex stopped patting his daughter's back to glare viciously at Lucas.

Clark was a little surprised to see Mayson Drake get out of a car and approach Lex. She seemed more than a little concerned at what had happened. Clark turned away, wondering if Lois had been right in her assessment of Mayson. He still didn't remember much about having slept with her, which sounded wrong even in his mind, but it clearly wasn't that important.

J'onn pulled him aside.

"They'll want to talk to you about what happened."

"Can it wait? It's just ... well, Lois and I have a story to write for the next edition."

"You'll need to give your statement," the Martian Manhunter said. He'd been sent years ago by Jor-El to watch over and protect Clark when necessary, but Clark had only known him for the last five years. "And get your story straight," he added quietly.

Clark nodded, watching as Lois approached one of the police officers and began taking notes. Always the reporter, he thought with a grin. He promised J'onn he would stop by the precinct the next day to give his statement.

"Lois," he said, his hand on her shoulder.

"In a minute, Clark. Got a front-page story to write."

"And it will never make the next edition if we don't get to writing it," he reminded her. "Come on."

She grinned sheepishly at him and let him lead her away. He noticed AC, Bart and Oliver had already taken off, not wanting to be questioned too closely by police. Which meant J'onn had let them slip away.

Clark flew them back to the office and Lois got to work, typing up the story. Clark paced behind her, watching as she typed.

"Uh, that should be 'a police spokesperson says', not 'police say'," he told her. "And you've misspelled a few words."

"That's what spellcheck is for," Lois said, waving her hand. "And don't edit my copy."

"It's going to be my byline on it too," he told her. "I'd hate for people to think I got my journalism degree via the internet." He tapped the screen, indicating the third paragraph down. "That should really be the lead."

"Will you stop that?" Lois said, sounding irritated.

"Fine. You write. I'll shut up. I'll just wait for you to finish and edit it then."

"Oh no you won't," she answered. "And stop looking over my shoulder. I hate it when people look over my shoulder."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. How about I go get us some coffee from the shop on the corner."

"You do that. And maybe I'll let you see the copy afterward."

Clark left the office, speeding down to the coffee shop and ordered Lois' favourite coffee. As he returned, he bumped into Lex.

"I didn't think you'd be back. How's Lena?"

"Shaken up, of course, but she's fine. I had no idea she was missing until I called home. She was supposed to have been supervised by Mercy. Mrs Hendricks said the chauffeur told her I had called and asked him to bring Lena to the office."

"It's not your fault, Lex. Although, it does look like your chauffeur was working for Lucas."

"Yeah. Of course, he's disappeared, but Oliver said he'd check out his apartment and see if he can track him down. You guys okay?"

"We're fine. Relieved it's over, I guess."

"I suppose we can all breathe a little bit easier. But Lucas still has to stand trial."

"Which won't be for a few months. And I doubt he'll get bail."

Lex nodded. "So I'm guessing the coffee is a bribe for Lois?"

Clark grinned. "Something like that. Speaking of which, I better get back before she totally mangles the story."

Lex laughed. "I'll talk to you later, Clark."

Clark returned to Lois' office, putting the coffee cup down beside her. She glanced up and smiled at him, then sipped the coffee, giving a satisfied sigh.

"Food of the gods," she said.

"I thought that was a Twinkie," he answered, sitting opposite her.

"Whatever!" She put the coffee down and began typing again. Clark watched her as she worked, loving the way she lost herself in the story.

It was another half hour before she sat back.

"Okay, you can check it now, Mister Dictionary."

Clark snorted. "Yeah, like I really want that moniker." He moved his chair around and began reading. He had to admit that the story was brilliant, despite the atrocious spelling. Lois had used Spellcheck, but it hadn't picked up on everything.

Perry knocked on the door.

"I hear you two have had one hell of an afternoon. Where's the story?"

Lois waved her hand. "Keep your shirt on, Perry. We're just about done."

"I needed your copy ten minutes ago, Lane."

"You always say that," she scoffed. "And you always hold the presses for me."

"We don't have presses anymore, Lane," Perry remarked. "At least, not in that sense. We're digital now."

Clark stood up, grabbing the pages off the printer.

"Here you go, Chief," he said.

Perry looked down at the document, beginning to read.

"Great Caesar's ghost!" he muttered. "This is dynamite stuff, kids."

Kids? Clark mouthed at Lois and she snickered.

Perry hurried off to do whatever it was an editor-in-chief did, leaving Clark and Lois time to gather their equilibrium. Lois grinned at him.

"We did it!" she grinned.

"Yup!" He looked at her. "Do you wanna get out of here? Maybe grab some dinner?"

"Why don't we get some takeout?" she suggested. "Go back to your place?"

Clark had one better. "Sure, we'll get some takeout. But there's something I want to show you first."

"What is it?"

He took her hand. "Come on."

He led her outside to the alley behind the Daily Planet, first checking to make sure there were no CCTV cameras around, and lifted her in his arms. He flew up into the air, taking her up higher than the tallest building in Metropolis, then hovered in the night sky.

Lois clung to him, seeming a little nervous.

"Wow!" she said, looking below. "We're really high," she added, unnecessarily.

"Sometimes I like to come up here at night and look down at the lights below."

The sky had only just begun to darken when he'd left the ground and it had become dark enough for the lights of the city to come on below them.

"It's so beautiful," Lois said breathlessly.

"Are you cold?"

She shook her head. "I guess I should be, but I'm not."

"I wish I could take you higher, but I'm not sure you'd be able to breathe in the stratosphere."

"It's okay," she said. "This is enough."

"I love you, Lois."

"I love you too."

"Come on," he said, turning in the air and making sure she was secure in his arms. "I'm starving."

They bought take-out from a local restaurant, but instead of Clark taking her to his apartment as she was expecting, he flew north.


	37. Fortress

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Flying in Clark's arms was incredible. Magical. When he'd first taken her up, she had closed her eyes, a little daunted by how high they were, and the fact that the only thing keeping her in the air was his strength.

She had expected him to take her back to his apartment, but certainly not this. As she turned her head, looking down at the ground hundreds of feet below, she really wasn't sure where they were. Most of it was just a blur to her, although she suspected Clark was flying slower than normal.

She clung to Clark, trusting that he wouldn't drop her, but still not as confident as him that things couldn't change within a second.

Clark began to slow his speed and Lois looked around her. All she saw was a world of white, and it was difficult to tell where the horizon was. She frowned. When they'd left Metropolis, it had been evening, the shadows lengthening into night. But here it was as bright as day.

"Where are we?" she asked. "Why is it so bright?"

"We're in the Arctic, Lois," Clark told her as he descended. His flying speed was slow enough now that she could hear him over the wind in her ears.

Lois could have smacked herself on the back of the head for that. Of course. This time of year, it was possible to have daylight the whole twenty-four hours, depending on how close they were to the North Pole.

As her eyes adjusted to the light, she could make out a huge crystalline structure, which appeared to be Clark's destination. Within a few seconds, they were landing inside the structure. Clark gently put her down. Lois felt the chill. It was well below freezing and she immediately began shivering.

"Jor-El, raise the temperature to adequate warmth for a human," he called out, his arms around her. Lois sank back into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his own body temperature.

An accented voice came out of nowhere.

"It is done, my son."

"Thank you," Lois said, still looking around for the source of the voice. She glanced at Clark. "Who was that?"

"My birth father. Or a representation of him, really." He took her hand. "Come on. I'm hungry. There's a place we can eat."

She followed him into an inner chamber. It really did seem warmer here. She wondered how that worked, considering the cold outside. Wasn't Clark afraid the ice would melt underneath?

He looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry," he said. "The structure is insulated so it doesn't affect the conditions outside. And it's environmentally controlled."

"What is this place, Clark?" she asked as he sat down beside a small crystal platform which looked remarkably like a table. She watched as he set out the food.

"Dig in," he said. He looked around him. "I call it my fortress of solitude. This is what my home planet was like. Well, the dwellings anyway."

"So was Krypton a cold place? I mean, this is beautiful but ..."

"But what?"

"It just seems a little, um, cold." And that sounded so lame in her head, but it was the easiest way to explain the impersonal feeling she got from the structure. To her, this wasn't a home. A home had warmth, and emotion.

But she supposed that Clark felt comfortable here, given that it was part of his heritage. Not to mention the fact that he'd grown up in a household devoid of warmth and love. The general hadn't been perfect, but she knew he'd loved his daughters.

"Well, I can't speak from experience, but from what Jor-El has told me, Krypton had a red sun, and yes, it was cold. Colder than here."

"Oh."

She helped herself to some of the food and began eating. It was still piping hot and delicious. Lois ate silently for a while, feeling a little awkward. She kept looking around her, checking out the surroundings. It really was beautiful, but so imposing. She wondered if Clark had ever brought anyone else up here, but she had no idea how to ask.

Clark frowned slightly at her.

"I can see that brain ticking over from here," he said.

She grinned at him. "Clark, have you been x-raying my head?"

"Yup. It's ticking over like clockwork. I can see all the little dials turning."

Lois laughed. She loved that he could be silly when he wanted to.

"Come on, what is it?" he asked, sobering.

"I was just, um, wondering, have you ever, um, brought anyone else here?"

"Like another woman, you mean? No. I did bring Lex here a couple of times and, well, you could say Lex had a major attack of the geek."

Lois chuckled. "Somehow I can't imagine Lex geeking out on anything."

"Oh, trust me, Lex is a big geek all right. He and Jor-El had a conversation that even I couldn't follow."

"So, what was Lex like as a kid?"

"Shorter," Clark laughed. "No, seriously, he wasn't too much different. Sure, he had fewer responsibilities and he did rebel against our father. He was a lot like me back then. Going out clubbing 'til all hours, drinking, using drugs. I guess you could say he was trying to get the old man's attention, and it worked, just not in the way he wanted. I mean, it was hard for him, you know? Knowing that the old man was more interested in what I was doing than what Lex was doing. I never wanted it."

"But you know why Lionel was more interested in you. He wanted to exploit you."

"Try explaining that to a teenage boy who only ever wanted his father to love him. Something which I doubt Lionel was ever capable of."

"So, how did Lex end up in Smallville?"

"Well, you know, Lex had a juvenile record. But when he was twenty-one – actually it was his twenty-first birthday – he went to a local club to party and he took some drug; I can't remember what it was, and he overdosed. It very nearly killed him."

"Oh my god!" Lois gasped.

"He was in the hospital for three days and the old man had to bribe a few cops as well as the club owner to hide the scandal. Lionel didn't care what we did as long as we didn't get caught."

"But this time ..."

Clark nodded. "So Lionel told Lex he was being sent to Smallville to run the crap factory. Lex raged for days, but he still went. And then I decided to skip out of school at Excelsior and went to Smallville, just in time to stop Lex from dying when he ran his car off a bridge. Well, Lionel came down and told me I was going to spend my senior year of high school in Smallville, and Lex was going to babysit me. Lex was so mad, he didn't speak to me for days."

"But you two get along so well now," Lois pointed out.

It was true. She could see the love between the two brothers. They cared about each other deeply.

"We do," Clark confirmed. "It's taken a few years and a few fights but we're friends as well as brothers. I mean, it's not to say we hated each other growing up. Lex was kind of like my hero when I was a little kid. But now, I guess it's more that we had a mutual hatred of our father and we learned to respect each other's differences. And I don't mean the physical ones. I mean, sometimes I still do things that Lex doesn't like, but he's not afraid to call me on it. He doesn't cut me any slack and instead of getting angry at him for it, I know he only does it because he cares about me."

"It's like that with me and Lucy," Lois said. "I mean, there was a time when Lucy was 'the good one'." She used air quotes for emphasis. "I used to resent her because she got the opportunities I was never given. Like boarding school in Switzerland. I was always the responsible one. And, you know, the general ran the household like he ran a platoon of men. But it turned out Lucy wasn't as good as we both believed. Anyway, she's married now, with a baby, and she's really happy. And we get along better now than we ever did when we were teenagers."

Clark put his hand on hers and smiled gently.

"I guess we all have our crosses to bear."

Lois had had cause to wonder in the last few days how Clark and Lex had ever grown up sane in the Luthor household, given the way their father had treated them. But she now understood. They might have had their fights, their own mutual resentment, but deep down they had loved each other and, as she and Lucy had always done, had been able to turn to each other when they'd really needed it. That, she thought, was the difference between Lucas, who was clearly psychotic, and Lex and Clark.

"So, would you like a tour?" Clark asked. "I mean, there isn't much really, but ..."

"I would love a tour," she said softly, letting him pull her up.

He showed her the control console, which was made up of several crystals. Each could be pulled out to activate various functions, rather like a computer.

"You said the voice I heard was a representation of your birth father," she said, touching the cool crystals.

"It's an artificial intelligence. My father programmed it with all the knowledge of Krypton, including its history, and his memories. Unfortunately, it didn't include his personality. So it was kind of cold when I first heard it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"Well, I first knew about it when my ship activated. And it told me I was meant to ... hmm, how did he put it, 'rule them with strength'. I thought that meant I was here to conquer Earth. That's what Lionel thought too. I guess that's why he was afraid of me when I really started getting my powers. Because he thought he wouldn't be able to control me. He was right, too. He wouldn't have."

"But you're not, are you?" Lois said, feeling a little anxiety creeping in.

"No," he laughed. "I think Jor-El meant it as teaching the people. Guiding them, so Earth doesn't make the same mistakes that led to Krypton's destruction."

"Oh, well, that makes more sense. So, why aren't you? I mean, sure, you're the Blur and everything, but ..."

"I guess I just haven't felt ready to yet."

"Well, I don't know. I mean, remember Slade? Mr I hate vigilantes?"

Clark nodded.

"I guess, I just feel that maybe the Blur needs to come out of the shadows. So people like Slade are less of a threat."

It was one thing that had been gnawing at her ever since she'd realised Clark was the Blur. That someone like Slade Wilson would do their level best to force Clark to do what they wanted, to follow the government agenda, rather than what Clark wanted to do.

Ever since the Blur had come on the scene, Lois had listened. She'd heard enough to know that Clark was an inspiration to other people. That he made others take a good long look at themselves. More people were out there trying to help thanks to the Blur. And Clark couldn't do that if he was the government's puppet.

Lois firmly believed that if people knew who the Blur was, or at least could put a face to the name, then his star might rise enough so the government could be forced to answer some serious questions if Clark suddenly disappeared. Or became the poster boy for some anti-terrorist crusade.

Clark took her hand and led her to another part of the fortress. Lois wondered why he'd called it his Fortress of Solitude, but she supposed she could understand why. He'd explained that the fortress was undetectable by Earth technology, including satellites, and it was so far north that there was little chance of anyone coming across it accidentally.

There wasn't much to see of the fortress really, she decided. As Clark showed her another chamber that looked almost exactly like the one they'd just left, she turned, putting her arms around his neck.

"So, is there like a ... bedroom in this little hideaway?"

Clark grinned. "Are you trying to seduce me, Ms Lane?"

"Yup. Is it working?"

She didn't even have time to take her next breath as Clark whipped her off to another chamber, setting her down on the floor. She looked around to find a huge bed, bigger than even a king size, in the middle of the chamber. It was covered in a large red comforter which looked incredibly bright against the white walls of the chamber itself, bringing out pink tinges in the crystals.

Lois bent down and touched the comforter. It felt almost like fur, it was so soft. She cocked her eyebrow at Clark.

"Red?"

"What's wrong with red?" he asked.

"Nothing at all."

She pulled him closer, tilting her head up for his kiss, tasting the sauce from dinner and something so uniquely Clark that left her wanting more. Clark's arms were around her waist, holding her securely, but not too tightly. His tongue begged for entry and she granted it, opening her mouth to allow him inside. Her tongue slid delicately alongside his, tracing the shape and they moved together in a gentle rhythm, soft sighs escaping now and then.

Lois moaned as his hands began exploring her body. His skin was so hot to the touch, scorching in its intensity as he pulled her blouse up to touch the bare skin at her waist. His blunt nails just had enough of an edge to them to send goosebumps up and down her spine as he lightly scratched.

She moved her hands down, splaying them over his chest, feeling his warmth through the silk of his shirt. Lois fingered the buttons, slipping one out of the buttonhole so she could push the shirt open. She began stroking his skin, marvelling at how soft it was, yet his muscles were so firm. It was like silk-covered steel.

"Lois," he began, but he seemed to hesitate as her hand managed to slip further inside, fingers catching on his nipple. His body jerked as if he'd been burned.

She kissed him again, running her tongue along his plump bottom lip, tasting him.

Slowly, Clark began undoing the buttons of her own blouse. His fingers were trembling just a little, which seemed a little odd to her, but she guessed it could be due to the intensity of his feelings. Her own fingers shook as she tried to undo the buttons on his shirt to give herself more access to his hard pecs.

One shirt and one blouse fell to the floor and strong arms pulled her even closer as lips descended once more on hers. Lois whimpered beneath the onslaught, her mind reeling as Clark's touch claimed ownership of her. Body, heart and soul.

He was gently pushing her down to the bed and it was just as soft as she had thought it would be. He moved over her, still kissing her, while Lois' hands roamed over his torso, loving the feel of his body over hers.

Clark began laying feather-soft kisses over her cheeks and jawline until she whimpered. He rolled over so she was now on top, his tongue licking at the juncture of her neck and shoulders. She felt a brief tingling sensation as he bit down gently, just nipping her.

She sat astride his waist, feeling evidence of his arousal beneath her, desperate for some friction to relieve the pressure of her own arousal. Her sex was already throbbing. They had been building up to this moment for so long and now that it was here, she couldn't wait for release. She wanted him so much and she knew she wasn't going to last very long.

"Shh," he whispered against her neck. "There's no rush."

"I need you," she whispered back.

"Lois," he answered, strain in his voice. She could tell he wanted her just as badly.

"Please, Clark," she moaned.

His hand flicked the hooks of her bra, releasing her aching breasts from captivity, and slid the straps down her arms. He rolled over so he was once more on top, leaning over her. Lois opened her eyes fully to look up at him and smiled. His own smile was full of love for her, his gaze one of passion and so intense she could burn under it. He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue in-between their joined lips, still being so gentle.

Lois reached down to his pants, undoing the button and sliding the zip down. Clark stayed her hand, getting up to remove the pants, along with his boxer briefs. Lois' mouth watered as she saw his member, erect and hard. The tip was almost an angry red, wet with pre-cum.

She reached for him, finger touching the tip of him and he looked down.

"That's what you do to me, Lois Lane."

Feeling mischievous, Lois swiped her finger over the tip, wetting it with the fluid leaking from him and lifted her finger to her mouth. Clark made a strangled kind of grunt as he watched her sucking on her finger and she grinned up at him.

Enough teasing, she thought, seeing how turned on it made him just watching that and she sat up to pull the zipper down on her skirt. Clark stopped her, the bed dipping as he lay beside her, rolling her onto her side so he could slide the zipper down, then remove the skirt. Lois whimpered as he slowly slipped a finger beneath the elastic of her panties, just barely touching her. His hand pressed down on her sex as he watched her face and she could see a wicked grin forming.

"Don't tease," she growled.

"It's my turn," he answered.

"Damn it, Luthor, don't you dare!" she said fiercely.

His grin widened. "I love it when you get all riled up."

She glowered at him. "I'll show you riled up!"

She sat up, and rolled over, pushing him onto his back on the bed, straddling his chest. He laughed, clearly enjoying the game. Lois knew damn well that she could never make him do anything he didn't want to do, and he was certainly no pushover. But it didn't mean she had to play by his rules.

Clark grasped her by the waist, pulling her up so she was practically sitting on his face. She frowned, wondering what he had in mind, but that question was answered as he pressed his nose to her satin-covered pussy. Lois squirmed above him as he continued to tease her.

"Clark!"

She did not squeal. No, she did not!

Clark laughed at her, a deep rumble in his throat that went straight to her sex. His finger was playing with the elastic of her panties, pulling on it and letting it lightly snap back. Lois glared down at him, wondering what he was planning on doing.

"Don't even think about it," she warned.

The warning came just a micro-second too late as he broke the elastic and ripped the panties off.

"Hey!" she said. "That was mean!"

Clark just laughed harder, so Lois decided she needed a little revenge. She pulled herself up, kneeling above him so he would have to either pull her down or lift his head at an awkward angle to get at her.

"See how you like that, Luthor!" she told him.

"I can still getcha," he bragged.

"Oh yeah?"

Lois pushed herself completely off him and away from the bed, backing away. Clark grinned evilly at her.

"You'll have to do better than that Lane," he said.

Lois turned tail and ran, forgetting that she was completely naked. It was a good thing that these inner chambers were insulated though, she thought as she ran for it. She wouldn't have relished the thought of running in snow.

Clark was still chuckling, his laughter echoing through the crystal chambers. Lois ran full tilt into something solid and realised he'd used his superspeed.

"Hey, that is cheating mister!"

He picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder and carried her back into the bedroom, tossing her on the bed.

"I hate you!" she growled.

"Sure you do," he returned, pushing her onto her back. He leaned down and kissed her again, leaving her breathless and so dizzy with desire she forgot what part of the game they were playing.

"Clark!" she moaned.

"I'm here, baby," he said.

She opened her legs under him, feeling him pressing against her.

"Please! No more teasing!"

His expression sobered and he nodded. Lois reached for him, pulling him down to her as he slowly began to breach her. Then he stopped and looked at her.

"Shit! I forgot! Are you ..."

"What?"

"Well, I don't want you to get pregnant. Not yet, anyway," he added with a little grimace. "I mean, I'm not sure if I can but, still ..."

"You want to know if I'm on the pill? And you're asking me that now?" She hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Lois rolled her eyes. Like that really hurt him, she thought.

"Big baby! Yes, I'm on the pill. Clark, please!"

"You're killing the mood here, babe!"

God, the man could try the patience of a saint. Lois reached for him, locking her legs behind him so it pushed him further inside her. She cried out, her body not used to accommodating someone as big as he was.

"God, Lois, you're so tight!"

Clark pulled out and gently began to push in again, keeping his weight off her. Then he slowly began to increase his thrusts as her body adjusted. Lois held him tightly, feeling him fill her. Her body began to pick up his rhythm and they moved together.

Clark rolled over, and Lois began to move her body above him, impaling herself deeper and deeper on him, leaning down to kiss him. He brushed her hair away from her face, his expression tender and loving even as she undulated on him. And they became lost in the dance, their bodies moving in unison.

Lois woke a while later, not even sure what time it was, feeling snug and warm. Clark had pulled the comforter up at some point as she lay sleeping, her head on his chest.

She lifted her head and looked at him. He looked so peaceful, his face smooth in sleep, and younger than his age. His breathing began to change and she knew he was starting to wake up.

She began to press little kisses over his chest until his arms tightened around her. She looked up once more and grinned at him.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

Lois went back to kissing his chest, her mouth on his nipple. She bit down gently, taking the nipple in her teeth and pulling just hard enough to make him gasp.

"Playing with fire there, Ms Lane," he told her.

She grinned, worrying at the other nipple.

"Going to punish me?" she asked.

"Considering it."

Lois ignored him, slowly exploring him with her mouth, tasting the salt of sweat on him. She found his navel, licking around the rim. Clark snickered.

"That tickles."

Lois grinned. She'd found something he wasn't invulnerable to. Oh, this was going to be fun, she thought. Her long hair brushed his skin as she slowly moved her way down, her chin bumping against his cock which had slowly hardened.

Lois wrapped her hand around the bottom of his shaft, lifting her head to glance at him.

"Don't even think about it," he told her.

"Think about what," she said innocently.

"Don't you play Miss Innocent with me, Lane," he retorted. "Or else I might just have to do what I threatened."

She sat up, her hand still on his hard shaft and looked at him with an evil glint in her eye.

"Ooh, trying to be macho man," she grinned. "Bet you can't take me."

"Yeah," he said, glowering at her. "How much are you willing to bet?"

Lois did not like that look in his eyes. She started to move away but he sat up and grabbed her ankle, pulling her in toward him until she was practically straddling his waist.

"You were saying, Ms Lane?" he said, his hand crawling up her leg, setting her nerves on fire.

"Clark, no fair!"

"Wanna talk about what's fair?" he retorted. "How about army brats thinking it's fun to tease?"

"Nooo!" she squealed as his fingers found the ticklish spot just below her ribs. She squirmed, trying to get away from those big hands, but he was relentless. Before long he had her writhing on her side, laughing her head off even as she tried to get away from him. "Clark, stop! Please! I'll be good! I'll be good! Noooo!"

He lifted her, kissing the protests out of her, rolling her onto her back as he entered her again. Lois wrapped herself around him as he began to thrust inside her. His hand clutched hers.

"I love you," she said, panting.

"I love you," he answered.

"Clark, god! You feel so good!" she moaned as his thrusts became harder.

"I know, baby, I know."

Her nails raked down his back and she tightened her hold on him, knowing he could take it. Her muscles squeezed him inside until he groaned, calling out her name. Lois came in what seemed like an explosion of stars. Clark stiffened, his seed filling her, then he collapsed beside her.

Lois rolled onto her side, kissing him as his hand stroked her, slowly getting her breath back. He brushed her hair back, kissing her again gently. With a soft sigh, Lois settled against him, closing her eyes.


	38. Kents

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Clark lay watching her sleep, gently tracing the contours of her face. She was so beautiful. He had never known any woman who could equal her in strength, in beauty, and she was more than a match for him.

"Luthor, you're turning into a sap," he told himself.

But Lois Lane defied all the things he thought he'd learned about women over the years. She refused to fit the image he had always had of women. He supposed that was why he loved her so much. Because she wasn't like any other woman.

"Kal-El," the AI called. Clark sat up.

"Jor-El?"

"Lex has been calling. I did not want to disturb you until it was appropriate. I informed him you were here and that you would return his call when you could."

"Thank you, Jor-El. Send Lex a message and tell him we'll be there soon. What time is it?"

"It is six-thirty am in Metropolis, Kal-El."

Lois stirred, lifting her head and blinking at him.

"What is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Lex called. We should get dressed and head back."

Lois frowned, wrinkling her nose. "Well, I would, but somebody tore my panties last night."

"Hmm, don't know who that was," Clark told her, chuckling. "We'll stop by your place so you can change your clothes."

"I really should feed my cat too. I've been neglecting him."

"Somehow, I don't think he'll worry too much. Cats are pretty independent. Besides, I fed him yesterday when I stopped by for your clothes."

Lois yawned and stretched. "God, I can't believe how much has happened in just a few days. I mean, there's Tess, and Morgan Edge, and Lucas."

"I know," he said. "But now that Lucas is in jail, I think we can all breathe a little easier."

Lois sat up and planted a brief kiss on his lips.

"Definitely," she said. She got out of bed and began gathering her clothes. He grabbed her wrist.

"Last night was ... amazing!"

She grinned and kissed him again. "It was. Thank you. For waiting, I mean."

"I'm glad we did," he said, reaching up and putting his arms around her waist.

He kissed her, pulling her back to the bed with him. Lois dropped her clothes on the floor. Clark was so tempted to just grab her and pull her back onto the bed with him and make love with her all over again.

"Lex," Lois reminded him.

He nodded, sighing. "Lex."

They quickly dressed and Clark flew them back to Lois' townhouse so she could quickly change her clothes. Her cat rubbed himself on Clark's ankles until he poured cat food into the dish, then promptly ignored him in favour of the food. Clark grinned. Typical cat, he thought.

He glanced at the clock. Ten minutes before seven.

"Lois?" he called.

She came out of the bedroom looking extremely pretty in a white short-sleeved blouse and knee-length skirt in burgundy. He whistled in admiration.

"You look great!" he said. She smiled and put her hand in his.

Ten minutes later found them at Lex's house. Lena was at the counter eating toast, crumbs and honey on her face. Lex looked up as they entered.

"I tried calling you," he said crossly. "I left messages."

"I know. Sorry. But Jor-El did tell you where we were."

Lex studied Clark for a moment, looking from him to Lois. Then his eyes widened in comprehension.

"I see," he said.

Clark bent down and kissed his niece's cheek.

"How are you feeling squirt?" he asked.

"'M'kay," she said, her mouth full of toast. "How come you were at the fortress Uncle Clark?"

"I wanted to show it to Lois. Teach her about my birth family."

"Oh." Lena took another bite of toast, mumbling around it. Clark was used to her mumbles so he understood her. "Did Lois like it?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lex interrupted absently. "And I need you to be on your best behaviour today. Mercy is still not feeling well after what happened yesterday."

Lena quickly chewed and swallowed.

"Daddy, can't I come with you to the office?"

Clark looked at his niece in sympathy. She was clearly still feeling unsettled. He wanted to wring Lucas' neck for what his brother had done to Lena.

He grabbed some bagels and put them in the toaster, then some cream cheese and jam from the fridge, putting them on the counter so Lois could help herself. Lex observed this without comment, then turned back to his daughter.

"No, honey, you can't," Lex said. "I have a meeting with Ms Drake this morning and there might be a few things you don't want to hear."

"Like what?"

"They're not for a child's ears," was all her father would say.

Lena turned pleading eyes to her uncle. Clark was busy buttering the bagels and spreading cream cheese and jam, while Lois poured coffee for them.

"Can't I stay with you then?" she asked.

"Sorry kiddo, but Lois and I have a lot of work to do and we have to talk to the police about Lucas."

"But I don't want to stay here," she whined. "I want to stay with you."

Lois was biting her lip. It seemed she understood as well how Lena was feeling.

"Sweetie, you know we'd love you to stay with us, but ..." She glanced at Clark, then looked as if a brainwave had hit her. "I know. Why don't we ask Martha and Jonathan?" she said. "You like them, don't you sweetie?" The little redhead nodded.

Clark frowned. Lena didn't like staying with the housekeeper and since Lex had taken her out of school until vacation, they had few options. But Lena had seemed to like the older couple.

"Why don't you give them a call?" Lex suggested. "I remember them from Smallville. They were a nice couple." He looked at his daughter. "Honey, if you've finished your breakfast, why don't you go and wash up."

"Okay, Daddy," she said, seeming brighter.

Clark watched his niece go, hearing his brother sigh. Lois had already picked up the phone and was calling the older couple.

"She had nightmares again last night," Lex said. "She was scared something might have happened to you when you didn't call. But then I got Jor-El's message."

"I wanted to share it with Lois," Clark told his brother.

"Spare me the details," Lex said dryly. "Just tell me it was worth it."

Clark looked at Lois, who appeared to be chatting enthusiastically.

"More than worth it. She's ... she's everything, Lex."

"Well, that narrows it down."

"I love her. She's like no one else I've ever met."

Lex grinned. "Well, well, looks like you've finally met your match."

"Yes, I have. Lois isn't just my match, Lex. She's the one."

Lois chose that moment to interrupt them. "Jonathan said they'll be happy to look after Lena for the day."

Lex smiled in relief. "That's great. That's a load off my mind."

"Why doesn't she like your housekeeper?" Lois asked.

"Well, you know, Lena doesn't take easily to some people. She and Mrs Hendricks have never really got along. Mrs Hendricks never had children."

Lena came back in with her school books.

"I'm ready, Daddy," she said.

"Okay. Uncle Clark will drive you to the Kents'. Promise me you'll be good for them." Lena nodded vigorously. Lex turned back to Clark. "Your car's still in the parking garage at the Planet, so you can take Lena in the Beemer. I'll take the Porsche. And on that note," he added, picking up his briefcase. "I need to get to work."

Clark watched as his brother kissed Lena and started to walk out the door.

"Oh, and Clark? Change your clothes. Those look like you've slept in them."

Clark growled and Lex laughed, waving as he walked to the garage. Clark finished eating and began stacking the dishes in the dishwasher. Lena and Lois were chattering away quietly while Lois ate her bagel and drank her coffee.

Clark watched them for a few moments. Lena seemed happier, and more animated. Of course, it helped now that Lucas was behind bars where he belonged. Lena had been badly frightened by what had happened, and Clark guessed it would be a long time before she came to grips with it all. She might have the intelligence level of a genius, but she was still a little girl.

Lois looked up and noticed him watching. She smiled, then turned back to Lena as the girl chattered on about something else. Clark looked at his watch.

"Time to motor," he said.

Lena jumped up from her seat and flung herself into his arms, begging to be carried. Clark could understand her need to be babied and he was prepared to indulge her for a little while. But he knew he couldn't allow it forever.

"Okay, honey," he said. "Just this once. But you're a big girl, Lena."

"Don't care," Lena said, her voice muffled by her face against his shirt.

Clark waited while Lois cleaned up. The housekeeper came in, ready to start work for the day, and Clark informed her Lena would be staying with friends for the day. Mrs Hendricks nodded briefly, her mind already on her work.

It was almost eight by the time they made it to the Kents' grocery. Clark had stopped by his apartment to quickly shower and change his clothes.

The grocery store was small by most standards. But it was clean and neat, and a small house adjoined it. Jonathan was already at work in the grocery, serving a customer. He looked up and smiled brightly.

"Hey there," he said, as soon as the customer left.

"Thanks for this," Clark said quietly. "I hope she's not too much of a handful."

Jonathan chuckled, his grin broad. "I'm sure we'll find something to keep Lena occupied, won't we kiddo?"

Lena nodded shyly, still clinging to Clark.

Martha came in from the house, followed by a young man about twenty-one. Clark immediately recognised him as the Kents' son.

"Hi," Clark Kent said warily. He hugged Lois, who just grinned at him. There seemed to be some unspoken communication between them.

"Hi," Clark returned. It was strange being confronted by someone who had the same name. Different circumstances, Clark was sure he would have been a Kent himself. "So, you studying for finals?"

"Yup. I hear you're working with Lois." The look implied he was not exactly happy with this information. Lois immediately put an arm around his shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're still my favourite."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he replied, glaring at Clark.

Lena was glowering at him. "My uncle Clark is the bestest uncle in the world and he and aunt Lois are gonna get married someday."

"Lena!" Clark said. "I haven't even asked her yet!"

The older couple were watching them, laughing at the combined reactions.

"But you are, cause you love aunt Lois, and she loves you," Lena pointed out.

Clark didn't fail to notice the 'aunt' she'd tagged onto Lois. She clearly was determined to make Lois a part of the family, whether she wanted to or not. Although, Clark could tell by the way Lois' eyes were twinkling that that wasn't a problem.

Martha was still chuckling.

"Honey, I think you should leave that to your uncle, hmm? And I'm betting you're hungry."

Lena nodded, taking the older redhead's hand. "Yep. I'm always hungry."

"Well, I think we can find something to fill that hole in your tummy."

Jonathan was still laughing merrily. He looked at Clark. "Don't worry. Martha's great with kids. She'll look after Lena."

"Thanks. She didn't want to stay with the housekeeper. After what Lucas did to her and her mom yesterday, I don't really blame her for wanting to be close to us."

"I'm sorry to hear about Helen," Jonathan said. "Did Lena ...?"

"I'm not sure how much she did see, but she knows her mother's gone." Clark sighed. "It's going to be hard for all of us for a while. Lex said Lena's having nightmares."

Jonathan nodded.

"Still," Clark continued, "I'm glad she seems happy enough with you. Lena doesn't usually take so well to strangers. She can be a little shy sometimes."

"She's a good kid," Jonathan told him. "Look, it's gonna take time. Kids are very resilient. She'll bounce back. Just be patient with her; let her know she's loved."

"That's not hard to do," Lois smiled. "I've only known her a couple of weeks and I love her already."

The blonde man smiled back at her. "Looks like it's mutual, 'aunt' Lois."

Lois chuckled and nodded. "Well, she was the one who told me that Clark 'liked me'."

Clark laughed. "Yeah, I bet she did. Lena's nosy when she wants to be."

The Kents' son still looked warily at him. Clark decided it was time to clear the air with the younger man.

"Look, I know I haven't given you any reason to trust me, but your parents were telling me you're studying for a masters in business administration with a minor in sports. I can't promise anything, but I could have a talk with my brother about an internship. Maybe with the Metropolis Sharks."

"Yeah, Dad mentioned something about that. I appreciate it, but I'd like to pull my own weight."

"This wouldn't be a hand out," Clark assured him. "You'd have to compete for it. But if your GPA is good, I think you'd have a good chance. If not, we have a few contacts we could put you in touch with. All you'd need is a recommendation from your professor."

"I really think you should at least consider it, son," Jonathan said. "Opportunities like these don't come around very often."

"It's not just that, Dad. It's the fact that they're Luthors."

"And if there's one thing I've learned from your mother, it's not to judge people by their name. Clark here may be a Luthor in name, but he's a good man. So is Lex."

"That's not what you said a few years ago."

"And I've had cause to change my mind," his father said firmly.

"And trust me, I wouldn't be with Clark if I thought the same," Lois told him.

Clark nodded. "Look, from what Lois has told me, you're about as close as brother and sister, and I know how much you care about her. I want you to know that I love Lois. I will never do anything to hurt her. Not if I can help it. And Lena may have jumped the gun, but I want to marry this woman. If she'll have me."

Lois looked at him. "Is that a proposal?"

Clark grinned. "Call it a promise."

Lena came back out, eating a banana. Clark grinned at his niece.

"We have to get to work, squirt. Be good, okay?"

"I'm always good," Lena insisted.

"Yeah, right!" he said, ruffling her hair. She pushed his hand away, grinning. He bent and hugged her. Lois followed suit.

Clark left his cell number with the Kents.

"Just call me if she gives you any trouble."

"She won't," Jonathan laughed. "We have had some practice at this."

Clark drove away, grateful that the older couple were happy to help out. He did worry about Lena, especially after the events of the last few days. But Jonathan was right. Kids were resilient and he had no doubt Lena would bounce back eventually.

Their first stop was the police precinct to give their statements. J'onn came in on the interview, which Clark figured was to make sure that they didn't say anything which gave away anything about Clark's abilities.

It was almost lunchtime by the time they got to the Planet. Lex had left a message on Lois' email to tell them to come straight to his office when they got in.

Clark wasn't surprised to see Mayson Drake sitting in Lex's office chatting with him. It didn't seem like they had been discussing the case much at all, however.

"Hi Mayson," he said.

"Hi. Lex told me you were dropping his daughter off with friends."

"Yeah. We just spent the last three or so hours down at the police station giving our statements."

Mayson rolled her eyes and snickered. "You have my sympathy. They do like to make sure they've dotted their i's and crossed their t's."

"John Jones mentioned there might be a couple of cops on the hit list," Lois commented.

"Internal Affairs is investigating, but yeah, we think so."

"So was Lena okay with the Kents?" Lex asked.

"I think she'll be fine, Lex. She seemed to like them."

"Good," he said, sighing in relief. "That's one load off my mind."

"How did Lucas find out about Helen?" Clark asked his brother.

"Turns out Lucas had someone in Dad's office. Lionel was keeping tabs on Helen – I guess because of the meteor ability she had."

"Do you know what it was?" Lois asked.

Lex shook his head. "But Helen's reasons for giving me full custody of Lena make a lot more sense now."

"I'm so sorry about your ex-wife," Mayson said.

"I did care about her," Lex sighed. "We kept in touch, mostly because of Lena. She always wanted to know how she was doing."

"So what happens now?" Lois asked Mayson.

"Well, Lucas will be going up for arraignment tomorrow and we're going to oppose bail. Given his list of crimes, I hope the judge will grant us that."

"Me too," Lex said. "The last thing I want is Lucas out on the streets. It's been bad enough the last few days with Lena so unsettled."

"We'll do our best to ensure Lucas stays behind bars," Mayson promised. "Anyway, I should get back to the office and work on the brief for the hearing tomorrow." She stood up, grabbing her briefcase.

"Keep me posted," Lex told her.

Mayson left with a polite nod to Clark. He nodded back. It was clear that Mayson was not interested in him at all, which suited him just fine. His sleeping with her was in the past and it was going to stay that way.

"You guys are going to keep following the story, I take it?" Lex asked.

"Of course," Lois answered.

"Good. I want you at the bail hearing tomorrow then."

"We'll be there," Clark promised.

Lex sat back with a heavy sigh. "I don't mind telling you this whole thing has had me on edge the past few days."

"I'm not surprised, Lex," Clark told his brother. "But with any luck it's over."

"Well, not quite. Lucas may still try something," Lois said.

"Oh, don't say that," Lex told her.

Clark looked at Lois askance. "Yeah, what'd you say that for?"

"Well, knowing Lucas, he'd probably do something to try and get out of it."

"The evidence is pretty solid," Clark replied.

He had to admit though that the thought did make him a little uneasy. Lucas was a Luthor, and Lionel had managed to wriggle out of things before. Although Lionel had never done anything on the scale Lucas had done. He'd always covered his tracks. Yet, Lucas had been fairly blatant about it.

They spent the afternoon working on follow-ups to the story, until Clark received a call from the station running his cable show.

"About time you hosted another segment, Luthor," his producer said.

"Yeah, yeah."

"No. I want you in the studio, unless you've become so big-headed you think you don't need us no more? I mean, now that you're a bigshot reporter."

"Okay, fine, I'll be there at eight."

Clark hung up and looked at Lois. He really had neglected his show, despite the fact that they had a few episodes he'd already taped. What had made the show work for itself, however, was the live segments where he would take calls from viewers, mostly women, and banter with them on the air.

But he wondered sometimes if his show was just another way of him putting up a wall and keeping people, women especially, away. It felt as if it wasn't something he needed any more.

"Who was that?" Lois asked.

"That was the producer of my show. He wants me to host another show. I really should. At least to placate them. But I was thinking – maybe I should stop with the show."

"What about your column?"

"I think I could still do that. I mean, I only started the column as a favour to Lex. To sell papers. It's just ... I don't think I need the show."

"How do you think the network will like it?"

"They probably won't, but I always knew it wasn't going to be forever. So, do you want to come and watch me at the studio?"

Lois grinned. "Sure. I think it'll be fun."

"So, I'll go pick up Lena from the Kents. My car's still downstairs. Do you want to follow me in my car? We can have dinner at Lex's. I can call Mrs Hendricks and let her know to cook extra."

"That sounds like a plan. I wanted to talk to you about something, anyway."

Clark looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Just something I've been thinking about ever since we came back from the fortress. Actually, since we talked last night."

Clark grinned. "We did a lot more than talk last night."

"Cute!"

"I try!" He picked up the keys to the BMW and handed her the keys to his car. "So, let's get out of here."

Lena came running out to meet him when he got out of the car. She had chocolate on her face.

"Uncle Clark, Uncle Clark! Aunt Martha makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. You gotta try them."

"Oh, so it's Aunt Martha now, is it?"

"She's awesome!" Lena beamed, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the house.

Jonathan was chuckling as he entered the kitchen.

"Lena talking about Martha's cookies?" he asked with a knowing grin.

"Apparently they're the best in the world."

"Then you haven't tasted my apple pie," Martha grinned.

"Pie?" Clark dearly wanted to smack his lips.

Jonathan laughed. "Martha, I think you said the magic word."

"Martha's apple pie is a legend in Smallville," Lois grinned behind him. "Just ask Chloe. I think it won the top prize at the county fair every year."

"Well, almost," Martha smiled. "I made some today, in fact. Why don't you take some home with you?"

"Thanks," Clark answered. "I'll take you up on that." Clark turned back to Jonathan. "So, how was she? She wasn't too much trouble?"

"Not at all," the older man said, ruffling Lena's hair. "We had a great time today, didn't we Lena?"

"Yup. They even have a dog. Do you think if I asked, Daddy would let me get a dog?"

"I don't know, honey. Dogs take a lot of looking after."

"But I'd take care of it," Lena said with a pout.

"You'd have to talk to your dad," Clark told her, unable to resist her when she stuck out her bottom lip.

"Now, Lena, a dog is a big responsibility. And you'd have to play with it and take it for walks all the time," Jonathan said kindly. "You know you can always come and play with Shelby when you want to."

"I guess it wouldn't be a good thing," Lena said. "Not when Daddy has to go away a lot."

Clark figured it was best to drop the subject. He was sure it would come up again at some point, but he doubted Lex would allow it.

"Well, come on squirt. Get your stuff together. Your dad will probably be home soon and Mrs H will have dinner ready."

"I'm just gonna go out and say goodbye to Shelby and Clark," she said, running out the door, leaving Lois and Clark laughing.

He turned back to the older couple.

"You have no idea how much we appreciate your help today. She seems better already."

Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Like I said this morning, son, it'll take time, but she'll bounce back. And you're welcome to bring her by any time."

"Thank you. That means a lot. I hope you'll accept an open invitation to come to dinner some time."

"We'd love that," Martha smiled, handing him a carton. "Here's a couple of pies. From what Lena tells me, you would probably manage to eat one by yourself."

Lois laughed. "Your reputation precedes you, Clark."

He mock-growled at her. "Hey, no making fun."

Lois hugged the older couple as Lena came back in, followed by a golden retriever. The dog barked happily. Clark bent down and pet the animal.

"Hey boy," he said. Shelby yapped and licked his nose, making Lena giggle.

As he drove to Lex's with Lena in the car, he glanced at her. She certainly did seem to have more energy. And she was a lot happier. She talked non-stop about the fun day she'd had playing with the dog in the small yard and helping 'Uncle Jonathan' in the store. She really had taken to the Kents.

Clark had read a lot about animals being used in therapy, and he wondered if it would be a good idea after all to get a dog. Maybe a small dog that she could bring with her to the apartment when her father was away on business. If it had helped take her mind off what had happened to her and her mother, then there had to be something in it.

He would have to talk to Lex.


	39. Show

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"Lex, I just think it might help her."

Lois could hear Clark's deep tones as she walked into the house. But she didn't hear Lex's answer.

"Come on, Lex, I know it's a big responsibility, but you should have seen how happy she was today."

She walked into the kitchen just in time to hear Lex's answer.

"What happens if I have to go away on business? You can't have a dog in your building."

"Then I'll buy a house in the suburbs."

Lois frowned at the two men. "What's this?"

"I'm trying to talk Lex into letting Lena have a dog."

"I thought you said it wasn't such a good idea," Lois reminded Clark.

"That was before I saw her with the dog this afternoon."

Lois nodded and turned to Lex. "There are theories out there that it can help people with various illnesses."

"Lena isn't sick."

"No," she reasoned. "But she has had a traumatic experience."

"And who would look after the dog?" Lex said. "I'm at work all day. Lena will be at school. And I doubt the housekeeper would want to take care of a dog."

"What about a cat then?" Lois suggested. "I have a cat and he doesn't worry when I'm not around."

Lex frowned at her, biting his lip. "Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I mean, I'm not a cat person, but a cat would be easier to take care of. And you wouldn't have to sell your apartment, Clark."

Lois grinned. "Problem solved." She looked around. "Where is Lena?"

"Watching tv. Re-runs of The Simpsons." Clark rolled his eyes.

Lois chuckled to herself. Clark really didn't like that show. She wasn't much of a fan of it either, but at least it was keeping Lena distracted.

She sat at the breakfast nook.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," she said, looking at Clark.

"Yeah, you mentioned that. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking today about you being, you know, the Blur. And what Slade was saying. And I think the only way you're going to stop the nay-sayers is to come out of the shadows."

"Reveal myself to the world?" Clark frowned. "How is that going to work? I mean, everyone knows me as Clark Luthor. I haven't exactly hid that part of myself from the world."

"Well, no, but maybe you could, I don't know, recreate another identity."

"Except there's the little problem of Clark's face being too well-known," Lex pointed out. "Not to mention that it's plastered all over cable television."

"I admit there might be a few flaws to my plan, but ..."

"The point of the Blur is to hide my identity," Clark told her.

"I know that," she agreed quietly. "And I think that's precisely the reason why people like Slade don't trust you."

She understood what he was saying. Being a Luthor, he was considered a fairly public figure. He'd been photographed for years. To suddenly reveal himself as the Blur was risky. Someone who knew him as Clark Luthor might recognise him. And another risk was that people who did recognise him might suddenly decide the Blur wasn't so trustworthy. But the other side of it was people like Slade, who were trying to paint Clark and his friends as people not to be trusted.

It was a puzzle. Lois had definitely not thought this through very clearly, but she had broached the subject and got both Clark and Lex thinking about the idea. If she knew Clark, he would at least mull it over. And maybe they could all come up with a workable solution.

Lena chattered excitedly at dinner, telling her father all about her day at the Kents and playing with the dog. She could see from Lex's expression that he was relieved – happy that he'd done the right thing by his daughter. She knew how close father and daughter were and Lex had hated the thought of leaving her with strangers. Even if he had known the couple from Smallville. But one look at Lena's shining face and brilliant smile had told them all that Lena had had a wonderful time.

"Oh, and Daddy, guess what? Uncle Clark and Aunt Lois are gonna get married!"

"Lena!" Clark said, his tone sharp but with a hint of amusement.

Lex looked from one to the other, a perplexed frown on his face.

"Is this true?"

"Nothing's been decided," Clark muttered.

"Well, yeah, you haven't exactly proposed. Lena did that for you."

Lois loved the look of consternation on his face. She really wanted to milk this for all she was worth.

"Don't even think about it, Lane," Clark murmured under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

Damn, so much for teasing him until doomsday. Oh well!

Lois offered to help Lex with the dishes while Lena dragged Clark into the living room to play a video game with her. Lois grinned. Lena definitely had her uncle wrapped around her little finger. But Clark didn't seem to mind.

"So?" Lex said.

She shrugged. "What?"

"You and Clark?"

"Lena's jumping the gun. But I wouldn't say no to a proposal."

"You're that sure? I mean, I know how Clark feels about you."

"I love him, Lex. I know, I know, it's happened awfully fast, and it's sort of been caught up in everything else over the past few weeks, but yeah, I love him."

She began handing Lex the dishes she'd rinsed and he loaded them in the dishwasher.

"I won't ask you if you know what you're doing, but I know how hard Clark has fallen for you. And trust me, Clark doesn't fall that easily."

"I know. He puts up walls to protect himself."

"And you've just broken them down. I've never seen him so open with anyone. Or laugh so much."

Lois looked at Lex.

"It's been difficult for you, hasn't it? Not just raising Lena on your own, but ... since your mom died you've felt responsible for Clark."

Lex shrugged. "He ain't heavy, he's my brother."

"It was sort of the same for Lucy and I. I mean, there's only a couple of years difference between us, but when my mom died my dad told me it was up to me to take care of Lucy. And what did I know about taking care of a kid? I was six years old."

"Clark took a lot more looking after than most. Lionel made me responsible for every time Clark screwed up. Especially where exposing his abilities went. Lionel didn't want him doing anything unless it gave Lionel an advantage over his enemies." Lex sighed. "I knew Clark hated Dad, but until he told me what happened to Mom, I didn't know the extent of it." His gaze took on a faraway look. "I suspected something wasn't right. I came home for spring break and that's when Mom told me about the pregnancy. But she had a look about her, almost like an abused animal."

Lois saw regret in his expression. Like he wished he could go back and do something about it.

"Lex, you can't change the past."

"I still wish I could have protected her. Got her out of there. I keep thinking if she'd left the old man she might still be alive."

"You don't know that."

Lex sighed. "Life is full of what-ifs, what-could-have-beens."

"You know, my dad has a saying. 'Too bad, how sad, never mind, carry on'. I mean, I know it sounds a little cold, but do you think he doesn't wish sometimes that he could have found a way to cure my mom's cancer? He still misses her. Hell, he hasn't dated another woman since she died, and it's been twenty years. But he took the hand that life dealt him and maybe he thinks he didn't do such a good job as a father, but ..."

"He did something right," Lex told her. "You are probably one of the most compassionate women I've ever met. And you're good for Clark. He used to treat women badly, but since he met you, he's changed a lot."

"I can't take all the credit."

Lex shook his head. "No, credit where credit is due. You made him see another side of himself and I can safely say that I don't have any concerns about his future. He's ready to settle down and he's found the right woman to settle down with."

"And what about you, Lex? I mean, I hate to say this, but you can't live your life alone. You can't live it for Lena, either. For one thing, she needs a female influence. And yeah, she's got me, but I won't always be here when she needs me. I mean, I'll be with Clark."

"I have been thinking about it," Lex answered. "I remember what she said in the hospital. She needs a mother. But I have no idea how I'm going to go about this. All the women I've dated in the past have only done so because they want something from me."

"Meaning they're gold-diggers," Lois sighed. "Yeah, I get that. But I happen to know someone who I think likes you and if you took the time to get to know her, I think you might be surprised."

Lex looked at her curiously. "Who?"

"Mayson."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at her. "Really? She's attractive, I suppose. But I don't know ..."

"You never know until you try."

"Yeah, but I got the impression she was more into Clark."

"Clark slept with her in college. It was only the once, though."

Lex frowned, looking as if this news might have put a damper on things. But he had definitely shown a spark of interest.

"Well, that ..."

"Lex, it's fine. She isn't interested in Clark at all, except to warn me to be careful of him. She was asking about you the other day when we went for coffee." She smiled at him. "Look, what can it hurt just asking her out, even for coffee, or something. You don't have to marry her, or anything."

"Coffee?" Lex said, looking hopeful.

"Coffee."

Clark chose that moment to come in. Lois wondered if he had been listening to the conversation, but from his expression she guessed not. It was good to know that Clark did know his boundaries, even with super-hearing. She hugged him.

"How was the game?"

"Lena beat me soundly."

Lex grinned. "You wouldn't be letting my daughter win, by any chance, would you?"

Clark tried to look innocent. But it didn't work, not with the cheesy grin he was sporting.

"Who me? Just because I used to let you win at pool."

"Ha! You wish. You're just mad because there are some things I'm better at than you."

"I could whip your ass any time big brother," Clark retorted.

"Bring it, little brother," Lex chortled.

"Maybe some other time. Lois and I have to get to the studio."

"Wimp!" his brother snorted.

"Fine, Alexander, you and me, pool table, tomorrow night."

"You're on, Kal-El!"

Oh god, Lois groaned. She would be dating one half of two of the most competitive people on the planet.

Clark was quiet in the car on the way to the studio. Lois watched him as he drove, his concentration on the road.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. What were you and Lex talking about?"

"Oh, well, Lex is thinking of dating again."

"Good. It's time. Lena's at that age where it's going to matter. I mean, not that I think you haven't been a good influence on her. She's started to come out of her shell a little since you've been around, although this thing with Lucas has set her back a bit."

"She'll get over it. Maybe it would help if I spent some time with her. Did girly stuff with her."

"I think she'd like that," Clark said, glancing at her with a grateful smile. "I'm glad she likes you. Let me tell you, when Lex first brought her home, it wasn't like we were the best of friends straight away."

"What happened?"

"Well, you know how close Lena and Lex are. She saw me as an interloper, I guess. She was a little surly with me for a while. But I just used my charm on her."

"Now she has you doing anything she wants."

"Yup. She's a Luthor through and through."

Clark pulled up at the studio and parked the car. Lois followed him into the building. They ran into a short man with a large moustache in the hallway.

"Luthor. You finally show up."

"Sorry Mike. But as you'll have seen from the paper, there's been quite a lot going on. Oh, Mike Saunders, Lois Lane. Lois is my partner at the Daily Planet. She's also my girlfriend, so be nice."

Mike shook her hand. "Lois." He raised an eyebrow at Clark. "Girlfriend? You mean you've finally decided to join the rest of us mere mortals?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Clark muttered. "Yes," he added, raising his voice. "She's my girlfriend. And I need to speak with you about the show."

"Let me guess. Now that you're a big time reporter, you want to cancel the show."

"Come on, Mike. The show has run its course."

"Do you know how many viewers we had the other night? Eight hundred thousand. The ratings have been climbing ever since you became a big shot."

"And my priorities have changed. I'm sorry, Mike. But at least we'll go out on a high note."

"Fuck the high note. This show was a big money spinner for us."

"You'll find some other show."

"And where the fuck am I going to find someone who pulls in the chicks like you do? Admit it, Luthor, you're a hot young stud who has the girls creaming their panties for you. Not to mention the gay guys."

"And I'm now off the market!"

Mike frowned at him, then looked at Lois. "Her?"

Clark glared at the shorter man, pushing him against the wall.

"Her name is Lois, and you'll show her some respect. You got that?"

Mike shrank under Clark's glare. "Okay, okay, I got it. Sorry."

Lois shrugged and smiled apologetically at the man as she followed Clark down the corridor and into the studio.

"You were a little harsh with him, weren't you?" she said.

"Not really. The guy is a major sleazoid. He has absolutely no respect for women. I mean, my behaviour was probably not much better ..."

"I wouldn't say that," she said quietly. "I mean, yeah, you did go out with a lot of women, but I'm guessing you were always up front about your intentions."

"That is true. But I did joke around. Every time I had my eye on a potential date, well, let's just say that the things I said weren't exactly PG-rated."

"Even me?" she asked, feeling a little trepidation.

Clark bit his lip. "Honestly? I've had dirty thoughts about you from our first conversation." He grinned sheepishly. "I wouldn't be a guy if I didn't."

"Like, what kind of dirty thoughts?"

"Well, remember that kiss in the elevator?"

She nodded. She remembered it well. The kiss had been totally hot. If the elevator had stopped suddenly, she wouldn't have said no to getting down and dirty on that floor with him.

"I had thoughts about frying the mechanism and taking you then and there."

Lois gasped. "Really?"

Clark nodded. "You were wearing those pants that hug your butt and this top that showed just a hint of cleavage. It was so sexy. And you were all flushed and excited. We'd just been talking about the story in Lex's office."

The adrenaline had been pumping. She knew she would have been flushed with it. And Clark had looked as if he felt the same way.

Clark had her up against the wall of the studio. Lois had a fleeting thought that it was a good thing it was just the two of them in the room at that moment because with the way he was looking at her, there was no way she wanted an audience. He looked as if he wanted to devour her.

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving and she felt a dull flush creep up.

"You're gorgeous when you blush," Clark whispered. "You're so beautiful, Lois."

"So, um, these thoughts, can you, uh ... describe them?"

"Instead, I'll demonstrate them."

Lois' eyes widened as she stared at him, and he grinned.

"Later. At my place."

Clark let her go, turning as the door opened and two other men came in. Clark went to help them set up the cameras and get everything ready for the live show. Lois sat down, feeling almost giddy with the thought of what Clark had planned for later that evening.

Clark had stripped off his silk shirt and was just wearing a t-shirt that clung tightly to his well-toned torso. Lois watched as his muscles rippled beneath the shirt, thinking back to the night of lovemaking they'd shared. Their first time had been intimate, yet passionate, but she did wonder what Clark was thinking when he'd said he wanted to demonstrate all the dirty thoughts he'd had about her.

If she had to admit it to herself, she had had a few wild fantasies about him too. She doubted, with his experience, that her fantasies could come close to what he was thinking, but it was still fun to think about.

Lois looked up. Clark grinned down at her.

"We're just about ready," he said.

"So, do you know what the show's going to be about?" she asked.

"I've had one or two thoughts," he said with a sly grin.

No prizes for guessing, Lois thought wryly. Clark had always been more than a little on the controversial side when it came to his topics, but she supposed that was why people loved the show.

"Ready in five, Clark," the cameraman told him.

Clark kissed her briefly. "Get comfy," he said.

She grinned back at him, wondering exactly what he had planned. But she was going to find out in a few minutes.

Clark sat, or rather, sprawled casually at the table, still dressed only in the t-shirt and the jeans he'd changed into at Lex's. Lois guessed he must keep some casual wear at his brother's, but his work clothes at the apartment. It wasn't like he couldn't zip home and change at a moment's notice.

She watched as the director, or whatever he was, made a hand signal to count down. Clark glanced at her, then turned back to the camera.

The announcer spoke, obviously from a booth.

"And now, you're live with Clark Luthor and The Naked Truth."

"Good evening Metropolis," Clark smirked at the camera. "No, you are not seeing things. We are live. And if you have been reading the Daily Planet lately, you'll understand my absence. Anyway, tonight, I thought we'd talk ... dirty."

He grinned lasciviously at the camera.

"Now, most women will tell you that they don't like dirty talk. Trust me, they're lying. Either to you or themselves. Women love dirty talk. It gets 'em all hot and bothered.

"But some might tell you that dirty talk is not for them. Right. And women don't fantasise about men either."

Lois groaned inwardly as Clark began to rattle off some examples of 'dirty talk'. She was sooo going to get him back for this. She glowered at him, knowing perfectly well he could see her. He suppressed a chuckle when she whispered he was a bad man and she was going to punish him for this.

It wasn't long before the switchboard apparently lit up with women who wanted their chance to talk to Clark. Lois was so tempted to sneak out and call the switchboard just to see what he would do.

"You're wrong, you know," one woman was saying. "My boyfriend says he doesn't like dirty talk."

"Then your boyfriend's either a prude or he's just not that into you."

A woman who sounded like an academic called later on.

"How can you so blatantly generalise about what men and women think?" she asked. "Studies show ..."

"Studies, huh? Well, why don't you bring down those so-called studies, professor? You know, you sound a lot like a professor I had in college."

"You mean she taught a class?" the woman asked.

Clark smirked at the camera. "Did I say that?"

Lois was going to kill him for this. He was evil. But as the show went on, she found herself laughing. Sure, Clark said a lot of things that could be seen to be controversial, but he clearly loved riling people up and provoking debate. And he did it in such a way that it was funny.

He was in his element. Clark was a born showman. Lois decided if he hadn't gone into journalism, he would have made a great actor.

Of course, that wasn't letting him off the hook, she decided as the show wrapped up and Clark made the announcement that the show would be ending soon.

As soon as the light indicated they were off the air, Clark came over to her. Lois stood up and put her arms around his neck.

"You are a very bad man, Clark Luthor," she told him.

"What are you going to do about it, then?" he asked, chuckling.

"Take me back to your place and find out," she challenged.

Clark grinned. "You're the boss!"


	40. Dirty

Chapter Forty

Clark chuckled to himself as they left the studio. He'd loved teasing her, despite her threat of getting him back for it later. Before Lois, Clark had often used innuendo to either annoy or excite women. Of course, none of the women he'd done it to had got as riled as Lois had when they'd first met.

He still remembered the things he'd said to her during their brief phone conversation the night she'd called the show, and their verbal jousting. The question was, would Lois get just as riled now or would she have a completely different reaction? He couldn't wait to find out.

The ride in the elevator was going to be interminably long. He would pick an apartment on the top floor of one of the tallest apartment buildings in the city. Then again, many of the tenants in the building were professionals with mostly six-figure incomes. And they tended to be people he couldn't afford to find out he was the Blur.

As soon as the doors closed on the elevator, Clark looked at Lois. She'd been quiet on the way over. Probably wondering just what he had planned. She gazed back at him curiously.

"What do you say to a sneak preview?" he asked softly.

Lois snickered, but he noticed she didn't resist at all when he swung her around in his arms and pushed her up against the wall of the elevator.

"So this is why you decided to take the elevator instead of super speeding up," she murmured.

He grinned. "All the better to have my wicked way with you," he said.

"Nice alliteration, rich boy, but so far I'm only getting all talk and no action."

"You want action?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "How's this for action?" he added, claiming her lips with his.

"Mm, not bad," she returned against his mouth.

He pulled her tighter against him, letting her feel his hard body. Lois put her arms around his neck. He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. Lois moaned softly beneath him. He deepened the kiss, not letting up until she pushed him away, breathless.

Clark frowned at her, then realised the lift was open. He grinned sheepishly.

"Saved by the bell," he told her.

Lois rolled her eyes and walked out of the elevator car, waiting for him to catch up. He took out his keycard and swiped it, opening up the door.

"Ladies first," he said, waving his hand.

Of course, now he'd got her here, he wasn't quite sure what to do with her. Normally when he'd been with a woman, they'd have had a couple of drinks on the couch before moving to the bedroom. Of course, there had never been any seconds with other women. Most of them had been one-night stands.

He started to move toward the kitchen.

"Want a drink?" he asked.

Lois didn't answer. He turned and looked for her. She had moved to his sound system and was looking through his collection of CDs. Clark liked classical music but he also enjoyed some soft rock.

"Air Supply?" Lois asked with a sardonic lift of her eyebrow.

"They have some good songs," Clark defended mildly.

"Duran Duran? Aren't they English?"

"Your point being? Anyway, don't rag on my taste in music. I don't comment about Whitesnake!"

"Touche Luthor," she grinned. "I just thought it was unusual, that's all."

"I happen to think my tastes are eclectic. Although I refuse to listen to hip hop."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Ugh! At least we agree on that," she said.

She picked out a CD and opened the cover. Clark couldn't see from his angle what the CD was and waited as she inserted it in the CD player. Clark recognised it as soon as he heard the opening beats.

_**Nights in white satin, never reaching the end  
>Letters I've written, never meaning to send<br>Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before  
>Just what the truth is, I can't say any more<strong>_

_**Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh, how I love you**_

"God, my mom loved that song," he said quietly.

His mother had had a beautiful singing voice and she'd often sung to him. Sometimes he would curl up on a window seat as the song would play, watching her as she became lost in the music, her red hair gleaming brightly in the sunlight from the huge picture window in the drawing room.

But when Lillian had become pregnant, there was no more music in the house. She had retreated into a dark depression.

"She had an LP of the band, but this was the only song of theirs she'd ever play."

"What happened to it?"

"Dad destroyed it when she died. I don't remember much music in the house after she was gone."

"I'm sorry," she said, reaching for the CD player. "I didn't mean to bring up sad memories."

Clark grasped her wrist, stopping her.

"No, don't," he said. "It's not a sad memory. It reminds me of when she was happy. My mom was beautiful. And kind, so kind. It was only when he was around that she stopped being happy. But she loved me and Lex, so much. It didn't matter that I wasn't her natural child. She loved me as much as she did Lex. We were her boys."

Clark smiled at the memory. Lex had been home from school and Lionel had been away on a business trip. His mom had put on some music and pulled a reluctant Lex up to dance. He'd made a face, but they had laughed so much that afternoon, finally flopping down on the rug. Then his mother had announced to the staff that she was taking her boys out for the rest of the afternoon.

They'd gone to the movies. Just the three of them. Lillian hadn't cared if it had got back to Lionel. They'd seen some silly movie that Clark couldn't remember the name of, eating as much junk food as they'd liked until even Clark thought he'd be sick. It was the happiest Lex had ever been as well.

Lois laughed when he related the story.

"She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She was."

"You miss her."

Clark nodded. "What about your mom?"

"She sounds a lot like yours. She was beautiful, smart, funny. She could even make the general laugh."

"It must have been hard for you, when she died."

"I didn't see her in the hospital. She was there five weeks and I never visited her once."

Clark sighed softly, brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"You were only a little girl," he said. "It's hard enough for even an adult to deal with, let alone a child."

"I don't know," she said. "I do wish I'd taken the chance to say goodbye to her. Tell her how much I loved her."

"She knew," Clark said.

He pulled her close, kissing her gently. The CD moved to another track and he swayed to the music. They danced around the room, lost in each other's gazes.

It became an easy transition from there to the bedroom. Clark slowly stripped her and Lois stripped him in turn. They moved to the bed, still kissing. Clark lowered her onto her back, careful not to press his whole weight on her.

Lois grinned up at him, her arms around his neck.

"Seems someone was being very naughty earlier."

"Really?" he said.

"Uh-huh."

"Care to elaborate, Ms Lane?"

"Hmm, somebody was teasing me about dirty talk."

"Does it get you all 'hot and bothered'?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know, since I've yet to see any evidence."

Clark ran his hands along her sides, making her shiver in anticipation. He placed a kiss just above her clavicle.

"And you say I'm the naughty one. You, Ms Lane," he said, pressing more kisses along her shoulder and down her arm, "seem to like teasing me with that sexy smile of yours. Like you know a little secret that you're not telling."

"Oh? I think it's your turn to elaborate."

"I seem to recall a hot little number at a certain gentleman's club. Like the way those hot pants just gave me a peek at your sexy ass."

"Oh yeah?" Lois gasped as he rocked his pelvis, letting her feel his erection against her sex. "Tell me more."

"I wanted to slide my fingers underneath the crotch of those pants, then slide my finger right up inside. Like this," he said, demonstrating by inserting one digit, his thumb on the swollen nub of skin.

Lois moaned softly. Clark could feel the moisture of her arousal, the heat of her inner walls.

"God, Lois, you feel amazing."

"More," she moaned.

"When you were giving me that lap dance, I wanted to rip those pants off you and fuck you then and there. The way you were teasing me ... if Victor hadn't interrupted, I just might have."

He'd been so hard that night, there had been no way he could have held off from climaxing. Much of her disguise had done little for him, but just knowing she was beneath the heavy make-up and the red wig had been enough.

He'd got her back for the lap dance straight after, but he'd been glad in a way, that Victor's call on the comlink had interrupted them. He'd never wanted their first time together to be in that club.

"Oh god, more," Lois demanded as he continued stroking her sex, feeling her arousal increase, his thumb rubbing in circles, causing her to shiver.

"Remember that night you went out for drinks with Oliver? We were fooling around and you grabbed my crotch. I was so hard that night, Lois, if you hadn't left, I might never have let you go."

Driving home with an erection would have been torture if he hadn't quickly jacked himself off first. And the whole time he had been picturing her in the sexy dress she'd been wearing, thinking about her gorgeous figure underneath the dress. No other woman had ever had him so hard and so fast.

Lois was straining against his hand, pushing her pelvis up, clearly trying to get more friction.

"Please, Clark," she begged.

"Tell me what you want," he said softly.

"You."

"You have me."

"You inside me. Please, I can't ... I can't ..."

Clark knew how she felt. He'd had to exercise a lot of control over himself with the knowledge of her beautiful body underneath him. He removed his hand from her and lifted himself up, taking his hard shaft in his hand to guide it slowly into her.

"Oh god, yes!" she cried.

Already her inner walls were squeezing him so hard that Clark thought he might pop. He continued pushing himself inside, filling her, but it still didn't seem enough for her. Lois wrapped her long legs around him, pulling him in deeper until he cried out.

Burying his face in the juncture of her neck, Clark began to thrust hard, finding a rhythm that Lois quickly matched. He rolled over in the bed, lifting his head to kiss her as she settled on top of him, rocking her pelvis against him, taking him to heights he could never have imagined with anyone else.

Supporting her with his hands on her back, Clark let her control the pace, loving the feeling of her soft skin against him. Lois kissed him hard, her tongue mimicking the thrusts of her body. Her thrusts began to stutter as her climax approached and she finally cried out in sheer pleasure, flinging her head back.

Clark rolled onto his side, letting his softening member slip out of her. Lois was panting, her chest heaving as she tried to get her breath back. He brushed the damp strands of her long hair away from her face, kissing her briefly on the lips.

"Is that all you got?" she asked when she'd recovered.

Clark frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"When you were teasing me about dirty talk ..."

"Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet."

"Gonna put your money where your mouth is?" she asked.

"You are a bad girl, Ms Lane."

"Takes one to know one, Mr Luthor," she said in a teasing tone.

Clark rolled her onto her back and began placing soft kisses along her torso, deliberately ignoring her breasts, knowing that would be the first place she'd expect him to go.

"Remember the night you called the show?" he said. "You told me you only tuned in because your cat had stepped on the remote. Do you know how many dirty images went through my mind?"

"Oh, paint me a picture," Lois said, sarcasm in her voice. "I knew what you were doing."

"When I realised who you were, believe me, the images just got dirtier. I had this fantasy of you coming down to the studio to have it out with me. You'd be standing there in front of the desk, looking cool and sexy in that little black number I saw you wearing last year. And I'd rip it off your body so you were stripped down to just your panties. And you'd be so wet ..."

Lois shuddered as his mouth closed over her navel. He dipped his tongue in, tracing around the rim. He could feel her belly moving as her breathing quickened.

He lifted his head again, moving further down, using one hand to prise her thighs apart. He dipped his head once more to leisurely lick her. Lois grabbed onto the headboard, her muttering incoherent, clearly fighting not to cry out.

Clark was conscious of her breathing changing rhythm once again, her breasts rising and falling much quicker this time. He buried his face in her, nose taking in her sweet scent, her taste almost addictive.

He lifted his head and looked at her once more.

"You taste almost like honeydew," he said.

Lois was straining, the headboard almost cracking.

"I'll have to take your word for it," she said.

If she was still that coherent, then he must be doing something wrong, he decided. He resumed licking her, pausing briefly to thrust his tongue inside her. Lois' legs shifted on the bed, part of her trying to pull away while the other clearly wanting more.

"Claaaaark!"

Clark ignored her cry, thrusting deeper. Lois' began to squirm on the bed, her moans becoming increasingly less coherent until finally she was shuddering beneath him.

Clark grinned mischievously as he moved back up the bed.

"Now who's naughty?" Lois croaked. "That was evil. It was also cheating."

"Cheating how?"

"I'm sure you used your super powers on me."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he returned.

Lois surged up, capturing his lips with hers as she pushed him down onto the mattress. Clark lay back as she began kissing him, laying a wet trail down his torso. He gasped when she took his hard member in her hand, her grip firm.

"What do you want?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Think I'm going to answer that?" he asked, grunting as she squeezed just a little harder. "Tell me what you'd like to do."

"Oh no, no, no," she laughed. "You started this game."

"Lois," he said warningly.

"Clark," she returned in the same tone. "C'mon," she added. "Talk dirty to me. Tell me what you like."

Lord, she could be stubborn. Well, so could he. And there was no way he was going to give in to this. But the more she stroked him, the harder it was for him to resist her. She knew exactly what she was doing with one hand on his shaft, the other stroking his perineum.

"Ungh!" he moaned.

"Say something baby?" she said, laughter in her voice.

She was evil. There was no other word for it. Lois Lane was evil.

"Keep that up Lane, and I might just have to punish you," he told her.

"Ahh, you're all talk, Luthor," she answered.

"Oh yeah? Come up here and say that," he told her.

"Oh no, this is too much fun," she said, still stroking him.

He stifled a gasp when she leaned down and licked him, then lifted her head and gazed back at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

That did it! Payback time, he growled. He sat up and grabbed her, tossing her onto the bed. Lois tried to push him away, and he grabbed her wrists, pushing them above her head. Lois was laughing, but her laughter quickly died when he kissed her hard. As soon as he let her wrists go, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her to deepen the kiss.

Clark entered her again. Lois gasped at the sudden thrust inside her but she was soon moaning, wrapping her legs around him, crossing them at the ankles behind his back.

When he finally came, he collapsed on the bed beside her.

"Ugh! I think somebody wore me out," he complained.

"Speak for yourself," Lois mumbled, snuggling into him.

Clark wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in closer. He kissed the tip of her nose.

"I love you," he said softly.

Lois muttered something sleepily which he took for a reply. He stroked her back softly until he fell asleep.


	41. Children

Chapter Forty-One

Lois woke some time in the middle of the night. Clark was snoring softly beside her, his arm snugly around her waist. She lay watching him for a moment. Moonlight peeked in from a gap in the drapes, shining white on his face, giving it a glow. He seemed so peaceful in that light.

Her gaze traced the shadows on his face, the aquiline shape of his nose, his full, utterly kissable lips. Her body tingled at the memory of what that mouth could do to her.

Sliding out from under his arm, Lois slipped from the bed, careful to wake him and grabbed his t-shirt from the floor where she'd tossed it earlier. She pressed it to her face, taking in the scent of his cologne. A woody scent that was subtle yet she knew to be very expensive. She'd once gone shopping for a birthday present for an ex-boyfriend with Chloe and they'd sampled every cologne in the store.

Underneath that scent was one that was all Clark. It was a smell that reminded her of fresh, open air and something that was just so unique to Clark.

She put on the shirt and padded quietly into the ensuite bathroom, closing the door with a soft click before switching on the light.

As she finished her ablutions, she stared into the mirror, wondering what it was that Clark saw in her. She didn't doubt that he believed she was a beautiful woman. She had enough confidence in herself to know that she was attractive to men. But what was so different about the way Clark saw her? That had made him fall in love with her?

Lois walked back into the bedroom, seeing that he was still asleep, and moved quietly out along the hallway to the kitchen. She hunted for a glass, trying to be as quiet as possible, and grabbed the pitcher of juice from the refrigerator. She had barely taken a sip when arms slid around her waist, making her jump.

Clark nuzzled her neck.

"That's my shirt," he said.

"Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" she asked, leaning back against him, her head on his shoulder. Clark was swift to take advantage of the position, capturing her mouth in a hard kiss.

"I'm sure I'll think of something," he drawled.

Lois was spun around so fast she felt dizzy. Clark took her mouth in a kiss that was as possessive as it was hard; claiming her, owning her. Lois whimpered under the assault, finding herself pushed against the counter. The rim dug into her back and she whimpered again.

Clark must have realised what was wrong as he let her go, easing the pressure behind her, then slipped his arm under her knees, lifting her up to sit on the counter. It was then she realised that Clark was completely naked.

He grinned, picking up the glass of juice and taking a long drink. Lois glowered at him and his grin became wider. After drinking half the glass full, he handed it to her. Lois tipped the glass up to her lips and drank the rest of the cool juice.

As soon as she put the glass down, Clark put his hands under her butt, pulling her closer, coaxing her thighs apart as he moved in-between them. Lois looked down at him from her perch, wondering what he was up to. The counter was at just the right height for Clark, by all appearances, but Lois guessed from the look in his eyes that he had something else in mind than what she was thinking.

Clark lifted the t-shirt up over her head, pulling it off and dropping it on the counter. Lois wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved as close as possible, taking her right breast in his mouth. Lois closed her eyes, letting her head fall back as Clark's tongue swirled around her nipple, making it quickly harden into a point. Heat pooled inside her and it was all she could do not to let out a loud moan.

He moved on to the other breast, gently biting, just enough to send a sharp jolt through her, and she gasped, clutching on to handfuls of his hair. She was barely aware of the counter-top underneath her as her arousal grew.

Clark lifted his mouth from her body.

"Look at me," he said softly.

She opened her eyes and looked at him, aware of her heart pounding and the dull flush creeping up her body as his gaze raked over her. Then Clark pushed her gently but firmly down on her back on the counter top. His hands began tracing every part of her body as if he was mapping her, his gaze so intense that Lois was lost.

He grasped her waist, making her arch her back and she moaned again. His lips were cool against her belly as he kissed her navel. He flattened his hand on her abdomen, applying light pressure, moving down to her sex. Lois arched her back again as he stroked her.

Clark chuckled and she looked at him.

"What?"

"You're purring," he said. "Just like a cat."

"Well, you are stroking my 'pussy'," she shot back.

"Ooh, nice," he answered. "I'll have you talking dirty in no time."

Lois sat up, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"You want dirty talk?" she whispered in his ear before nibbling on his lobe. "How's this for dirty talk? I want you. Right here, right now. I want to ride you so hard you won't be able to see straight."

He shuddered, making almost an animalistic grunt. Then he carried her to the other side of the kitchen, pushed her up against the wall and took her mouth again in an assault that had her breathless and dizzy. Lois could feel his arousal pressing against her and she reached a hand down to guide him inside her.

Clark pressed his hands against the wall, obviously for balance, as she clung on to him, moving up and down, riding him. But it still wasn't enough. As her passion grew, so did her need to do exactly as she had told him she would. Trouble was, the angle just wasn't quite right.

Lois pulled away, conscious of Clark's puzzled frown. Then he smirked as she pushed him down on the floor and straddled him.

"Well, you did say you liked to be on top," he quipped.

Lois growled at him, leaned over and kissed him, before catching his bottom lip in her teeth and pulling on it. She sat up and lowered her body, impaling herself, grinding down hard on him, eliciting a harsh grunt from him. Lois began to move faster and faster, taking him deeper inside her. The ensuing climax built slowly, starting with a slight tingle within her to full-on spasms that had her crying out. Clark's hands moved to support her at her waist as her rhythm sputtered and she collapsed in a heap over him.

They were both panting as they lay together. Clark put what felt like shaky arms around her as she lay on him, still trying to recover.

"God," he moaned. "You weren't kidding, were you?"

"Uh-huh," she answered. "Sorry, can't ... guh! Brain fried."

Clark chuckled and it occurred to her to wonder how he could even manage that in his own current state of post-coital euphoria.

With a groan, Clark stood up, still holding her in his arms. Lois clung to him, tucking her head into his chest. She felt Clark lift her legs around his waist and she let him carry her back to bed.

She settled against him with a soft sigh, nuzzling his chest.

"Don't start something you can't finish," he warned.

"Who says I'm starting something?" she said innocently, letting her hand creep down to his groin. He was already half-hard.

"Don't even think about it," he told her.

"Spoilsport!" she snorted.

"Go to sleep," he ordered.

"Kiss me first," she demanded.

Clark grumbled something about demanding girlfriends and she giggled, lifting her head for his kiss. He obliged with a soft kiss that was clearly designed as a final word. But Lois was still determined to have her way.

She slid down in the bed, grasping his shaft with a firm hand.

"What are you doing?" Clark asked.

"Kissing Clark Junior goodnight," she said, chuckling to herself at how corny it sounded. With a grin, she placed a soft, chaste kiss on the head, feeling him swell in her grip. She pushed her hair back with one hand and bent her head more, trying an experimental lick, just to see what Clark would do.

He was still clearly trying not to react. Chewing on her lip, Lois licked from the hand around him up to the top.

"You're asking for it," he told her.

"Asking for what?" she asked, grinning up at him, bending down again to take him in her mouth. She could feel the quickening pulse against her tongue as the blood rushed to the shaft.

Clark grunted, his body tensing, and she heard the sound of his headboard banging against the wall as he shifted in the bed, clearly fighting for some sort of control. Lois continued to tease him with her tongue, alternately taking him in deep, then backing off. Clark moaned, his hips thrusting up, demanding more. Lois began bobbing up and down on him, taking as much of him as she could. It wasn't long before he was coming with a harsh cry.

Lois sat up and grinned at him. He lifted his head and looked at her, his gaze unreadable in the moonlight.

"Get up here, you little minx!" he told her.

Laughing, Lois did so, moving easily into his arms.

"Like that huh?" she said.

"I think the word is Duh!" he said, and she punched him in the shoulder. His eyes glittered at her. "Of course, you realise you'll have to punished for that trick, don't you?"

Lois suddenly felt very nervous. "Uh ..."

"Nope. Do the crime, you do the time, missy!"

She felt Clark's hand move down between them, stroking her abdomen at first, then increasing the length of his strokes to her pelvis. Lois had an idea what he was going to do and she didn't even try to stop him. Turnabout was fair play, after all, she thought.

Sure enough, he began stroking her, pressing his thumb on her swollen nub, while his fingers teased below. Lois clung to his bicep, feeling the shockwaves through her entire body.

I'll say one thing for him, she thought. He definitely knows which buttons to push.

She gasped when he inserted one finger, being gentle at first, but then his strokes became more aggressive.

"Lois," he said softly, and she opened her eyes fully to look at him.

"Clark," she said breathlessly. "God!"

He inserted a second finger, stretching her, changing the rhythm of his strokes. She squeezed her thighs together, virtually trapping his hand in-between, trying to get more friction. Clark stroked harder and Lois threw her head back, losing herself in the sensations as the fire built inside her. And suddenly it was as if she was hit by a tidal wave, drowning her in its intensity.

Lois wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she woke up to find light streaming in through the gap in the drapes. And she could feel what was unmistakably 'morning wood'. Clark was spooning behind her and she guessed she had rolled over at some point.

He was kissing her shoulder, nipping her skin lightly.

"Hi," he murmured.

She turned her head and smiled sleepily at him, letting him capture her lips in a soft kiss.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Around six," he answered. "You won't be going in to work today."

"I won't?" she said.

"Nope. Told Lex I planned to chain you to my bed for the next three days."

Lois giggled. "Oh, really? I didn't know you were so kinky, Luthor."

"You have no idea," he said, deadpan.

Lois squirmed in his arms, and his body tensed.

"Remember what I said last night about not starting something you have no intention of finishing?"

Lois pretended to ponder the question. "Actually, I think what you said was 'don't start something you can't finish'."

"Semantics," he drawled.

"Well, who said I had no intention of finishing?" she returned, rubbing her backside against him.

"Lois ..."

"Claaaark!"

She might have only just woken up but her body knew what it wanted. And what it wanted was him. Any way she could have him. She writhed against him, trying to make her intentions clear to him. But he still seemed resistant to the idea.

Finally, Lois decided she had to take matters into her own hands and she took his large one, thrusting it in-between her legs.

"Please," she said, moving almost wantonly against him.

"God Lois, you drive me crazy," he murmured into her hair. But he began to move, stroking her, opening her up with his fingers. Then he guided his shaft inside her, lifting her leg over his as he slowly entered her.

Lois drew in a sharp breath. At this angle he was able to thrust deep inside her, his shaft hitting her sensitive inner walls, heightening her arousal. She captured his lips in a kiss, tongues mimicking the movement below and she cried out sharply as a hard thrust took her over the edge.

Breathless, she lay in his arms, her head cushioned by his arm underneath her. Clark slipped out of her, stroking her gently until she calmed.

"You're amazing," he said softly.

Lois rolled over to kiss him, loving the possessiveness in his touch and in his gaze. She had never felt like she had belonged to anyone, until she'd fallen for him. And the way he acted around her, it seemed to be a mutual possession.

She felt as if she'd only just dropped off to sleep again when the phone rang shrilly. Lois opened one eye a crack, scowling at the offender. Clark reached over and picked up the receiver.

"Yeah?" He frowned. "Lex? What's going on?"

There were screams in the background that were audible even over the phone.

"No! I won't!" Lois could hear Lex's voice as well. He sounded stressed.

"Sorry, Clark, I know you and Lois wanted some time to yourselves, but I don't know what else to do with her. She had nightmares all night and she won't stay with the housekeeper. I told her it was only for the morning, but ..."

"I thought she was okay after her day with the Kents?" Clark queried.

"Yeah, I thought so too. I'm starting to wonder if I should take her to see a therapist."

"No, don't do anything. Bring Lena over here."

"Okay. We'll see you in about twenty minutes."

Lois sighed as Clark hung up. "What's wrong with Lena?" she asked.

"Beats me," Clark sighed in return.

Lois rolled over and started to get out of bed. "We better hit the shower and get dressed."

She glanced at Clark and could see he was looking at her with a contrite expression. She knew he felt guilty for spoiling their plans for the weekend, but this was his niece and she had been through a great deal in the past week.

She leaned over and kissed him.

"It's okay," she said. "I really don't mind. Now, come on lazybones. Up and at 'em."

"Hmph! Who was it jumping my bones at one o'clock this morning?"

She grinned at him. "Hey, all I did was go out and get a glass of juice. You're the one who woke up and followed me."

"Well, it was lonely in the bed without you," he grinned back.

She stuck out her lower lip. "Oh, poor baby," she said in mocking sympathy.

Clark practically leaped out of bed. "Oh you are so looking to get punished, Ms Lane."

Twenty minutes later, Lois was showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse which Clark had obviously gone to her townhouse for. Clark was in the kitchen making breakfast; French toast with cinnamon.

The doorman had called up to say that Lex was on his way up with Lena and Lois was sitting at the table drinking juice. The door opened and Lena came running in, making a beeline for Lois and throwing herself into her arms.

"Hey," she said, stroking the girl's hair. "What's happened?"

Lena just held her tighter, shaking her head, burying her curls in Lois' chest. Clark turned from the stove and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Lex quietly closed the door. He was dressed in a suit, ready for work.

"Sorry," he told them apologetically. "I have a board meeting this morning that I can't get out of, otherwise I would have stayed home with her."

"Did she tell you what the nightmares were about?" Clark asked, with a glance at his niece, who had crawled into Lois' lap.

Lex shook his head. "No. She just woke up screaming between one and two and I couldn't get her to calm down." He sighed. "You know, just between the three of us, I'm starting to wonder if I should have stayed in Europe."

"Don't say that," Lois said, still comforting the girl by rubbing her back.

"I hate to say this, Lex, but you can't protect her forever. Not even the Blur can. And who would look after Luthorcorp?"

"You could," Lex said, grinning at his brother.

"Hell would have to freeze over first," Clark retorted. "Have you guys had breakfast?"

"No, we had a late start this morning."

"Well, I can make more."

"I really need to get to the board meeting," Lex insisted.

"It's not even eight o'clock," Clark said. "You can at least eat something. I mean, surely you're not starting the board meeting at eight thirty?"

Lois grinned as she watched the two brothers. She knew Lex was very bad when it came to his meals. The man lived on coffee.

"Okay, fine," Lex said, giving a grumbling sigh. "I'll have some breakfast."

Lois looked down at the little girl.

"Lena, do you want some breakfast? Uncle Clark's making French toast."

Lena shook her head.

"I think I have some Cap'n Crunch here," Clark said, going through the cupboards. "Would you like that instead, Lena?"

She looked up at her uncle, then nodded. Clark found the cereal and poured some in a bowl for his niece. Lois continued to rub the girl's back, watching as Lex sat down at the table.

Clark had finished cooking and he dished out the meal on plates, bringing them out to the table.

"Lena, come sit here beside me," he said as he sat down, tapping the chair beside him.

She did so reluctantly, pouring milk into her cereal. Clark watched her as she dug into the cereal.

"What was your nightmare about, honey?" he asked.

Lena ate a spoonful and looked up at him.

"I dreamed that Daddy went away, like Mommy, and I was all alone."

Lois bit back a gasp. Had Lena really dreamed about her father dying? She waited while Lena continued.

"A bad man like Uncle Lucas came and hurt Daddy and I was screaming and I couldn't stop it."

Lex dropped his fork and pushed his chair back, going to his daughter's side.

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me that was what your dream was about?"

"I was scared, Daddy."

"Lena, look at me," he said. "I'm not going to go away and leave you. Ever. I have Mercy watching out for me, and Uncle Clark. They'll always make sure I'm safe."

"But Mercy couldn't help Mommy," Lena said, clearly biting back tears.

"I know, sweetheart," he said, gathering her in his arms. "They hurt Mercy. But I promise you I will never let it happen to me."

Lois winced. Lex was making a promise he couldn't possibly keep. No one knew what was around the corner, and some madman could try to hurt Lex, or worse. She understood that he was trying to soothe his daughter's fears, but she wasn't sure this was the way to do it.

"You know," she said, "when my mom died, I used to worry about my dad too. He was always going away on missions, and we weren't allowed to go with him. And I used to get really scared that he wasn't coming back."

Lena looked at her curiously. "What did you do?" she asked.

"Well, I prayed, sometimes. But there was this lady on the base who I could talk to whenever I felt lonely or scared and she would just listen."

Clark smiled down at his niece. "And you can always come talk to us if you feel like that. Or even Uncle Ollie."

Lena paused, looking thoughtful. Then she nodded slowly.

"Okay."

"Finish eating your breakfast, sweetheart," Lex said. He glanced at his watch. It was a curio that Lois had been meaning to ask him about. The watch face was a Napoleon franc. Lex got up. "I really need to get going."

"Finish your breakfast first," Clark told him.

"I don't have time."

"Make the time," his brother said, almost sharply. "You barely eat as it is. And worst case scenario, I can always fly you to the office."

Lex glowered at him. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Lena was watching them, biting her lip. Lois could see that Lex was thinking about rebelling, but he also wanted to be a good example to his daughter. He sat down again at the table, then leaned over and ruffled Clark's hair.

"Get off!" Clark grumbled.

"Since when did you become big brother?" Lex teased.

"Eat your breakfast," Clark ordered.

The two of them started to volley mock insults back and forth for a while.

Lois glanced at Lena, who was trying not to laugh at her father and uncle's antics. She began to break out into giggles herself. Lena lost the battle and began giggling. The two men looked at the two of them with puzzled expressions.

"What's so funny?" he asked Lena.

"You are," Lena giggled.

"Look who's talking, funny face," he retorted.

Lena scrunched up her nose, making a face at him, poking out her tongue. Clark crossed his eyes and poked his tongue right back at her. Lois couldn't stop giggling as the two of them began trying to outdo each other in making faces.

"Clark," Lex complained. "Act your age."

Lena and Clark both turned on Lex and made faces at him until he was forced to laugh as well. He shook his head.

"You two could drive a man insane," was all he said.

"Too late," Clark retorted.

"Watch it, baby brother, or I'll shove Kryptonite where the sun don't shine."

"You and what army?"

Lex left shortly after, giving his daughter a hug and promising he would call as soon as the board meeting was over to let them know he would be there to pick her up. Clark had hit on the idea of taking Lena to the zoo and Lex promised to meet them there.

Lois helped Clark load the dishwasher while Lena did her bit by clearing the table. She seemed happier. Lois guessed part of the reason was knowing that no matter what, Lena still had people who cared about her.

Lois could understand the girl's fears. Maybe she hadn't seen everything, but she had seen enough to know what Lucas' men had done to her mother. And Lena was smart enough to know that her father was a public figure, which made him more vulnerable than most.

Jonathan had said yesterday that she would bounce back. And she would. Just not overnight. She was bound to have more nightmares until she was reassured in her own mind that nothing bad was going to happen to her family.

Lois was drinking coffee on the terrace, leaning against the concrete barrier and looking out at the view, when Clark came out, sliding his arms around her waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked.

Lois put her cup down on the ledge and turned in his arms.

"I'm fine," she said. "I was just thinking about Lena."

"It's been a tough few days," Clark responded. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"You know I love Lena," she answered. "In a lot of ways, we've got a lot in common. Both brought up by a single parent, workaholic father. I mean, I know Lex has a lot of demands on him but children her age don't always understand that. So if I can be here for her, in whatever capacity, then it's all for the good."

"You are an amazing woman, Lois Lane. Not every woman I've known would be so willing to take on a child the way you have with Lena."

"Well, she is a sweetheart," Lois said. "And one day I hope to have a little girl just as sweet as she is."

"I hope we get that lucky," Clark answered.

Lois detected a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"You think we won't?"

Clark bit his lip. "The truth is, I'm not sure if I can. I mean, being Kryptonian and everything."

"But you look like a human," Lois reasoned. "Surely your physiology can't be that different."

"To be honest, I don't really know. I've never been checked out by a medical doctor, since I've never really been sick. Jor-El's analysed me from time to time, especially after I've been exposed to Kryptonite, but I've never really looked into it." He studied her thoughtfully. "You want kids?"

"More than anything. I mean, I know the past few years I've kind of buried myself in my work. I guess I take more after my dad than I thought. But yeah, I do want to be a mom."

She studied him, getting the feeling that he would be devastated if he couldn't have a child of his own. For all his arrogance, all the walls he put up, she had seen enough of the way he was with Lena to know that he would make a wonderful father. But biology didn't make someone a parent.

"Hey," she said, touching his cheek. "Even if it means we can't have a child biologically, we can still adopt. Even I know that it takes much more than blood to make someone a good parent."

"I know that. I just ... I do want to be a dad, and it would be great if I could have one that is, you know, half me, half you." He smiled softly. "Especially a little girl who looked just like you. God, you're so beautiful, Lois. How the hell did I get so lucky to end up falling in love with you?"

"Feeling's mutual," she grinned, giving him a soft kiss.


	42. Zoo

Chapter Forty-Two

Clark loved the zoo almost as much as Lena. He remembered years ago when his mother had taken him and his brother around to see all the animals and he had stared wide-eyed at the big cats. Lena's reaction the first time she'd gone to the zoo in London had been pretty much the same, he decided.

He was worried about his niece, especially after what had happened earlier, but Lois had been amazing. He had never seen anyone so easygoing with a child as Lois was. In a lot of ways, Lois was right. The two girls related to each other on some level.

He admired Lois in a lot of things. Her strength, and her intelligence. But also for her heart. She might have spent the last few years protecting herself from situations where she could have had her heart broken, but she had opened up for him, and he loved her for that.

Clark watched her now as she and Lena stood beside the big cat enclosure. Lois was pointing out the lions chilling out in the sun. Metropolis Zoo had a program where people could spend time with the cubs if they wanted to and they were just in time for the newest litter.

He bent down to talk to his niece.

"I talked to one of the keepers. She said you can go and get up close with the cubs if you want."

Lena turned to him, eyes shining. "Really?"

"Yup. But you have to listen to everything the keeper says, okay? The cubs can get a bit too boisterous."

"Okay Uncle Clark."

Lena skipped quite happily to the gate of the enclosure where the cubs were separated from the rest of the big cats and took the hand of the keeper, who led her inside. Clark held back a little. Lois looked around at him curiously, and grinned.

"Come on. I want to have a play too."

Clark smirked at her. His idea of 'play' and Lois' idea of play were obviously two different things.

Lois chuckled and kissed him quickly.

"You'll get your turn later," she told him.

Clark laughed to himself as he followed her. Seemed she was now able to read his mind. It wasn't too hard though, since all he could think about was her.

Just as he turned to enter the enclosure to join the girls, he heard his name being called. He looked around to see Lex coming toward him.

"I see you got my text then," Clark said.

"Yeah."

"How was the board meeting?"

"A nightmare," Lex sighed, shaking his head. "I've got board members jockeying for the position left vacant by Tess."

Clark frowned at him. "Don't these guys have any sensitivity?"

"None whatsoever. How's things here?"

"Lena and Lois are probably playing with the cubs about now," Clark grinned. "C'mon."

They went inside to find Lena happily surrounded by white lion cubs. She looked up and grinned.

"Daddy! Look, aren't they cute? I wish I could keep one," she said wistfully.

"I think it would grow far too big to live in our house, baby," he answered.

Clark chuckled. Lena clearly loved animals. Lex had quietly told him before he left that he planned on taking Lena to the animal shelter to find her a cat. He'd clearly thought a lot about Lena's reaction to playing with the Kents' dog. Clark knew Lena wanted a dog, but Lex was right. It wasn't practical, especially if he had to go out of town on one of his infrequent business trips.

Lois was crouched down beside Lena with a cub in her lap. She noticed him watching and grinned up at him.

"They don't bite. Much," she said.

Clark knelt beside her and a cub immediately made a beeline for him, trying to crawl into his lap. He pulled it up by the scruff of its neck and began stroking it. The cub tried to bite a finger and he laughed at the comical expression on the cub's face when it realised it couldn't bite him at all.

Lex had clearly managed to get a camera from somewhere and he began taking snapshots of his daughter with the animals. Lois tried to block him from taking a picture of her. Especially as she had minimal make-up on her face. But as Clark watched her enjoying her time with the baby lions, he thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

All too soon it was time to leave the enclosure. Lena looked disappointed, but her father soon cheered her up with a promise of lunch in the zoo restaurant.

"Can I have anything I want, Daddy?" she asked as they were seated.

"Anything you want," her father told her.

"Even if I just want icecream?" she asked.

Clark glanced at Lois and snickered as she hid her expression, trying not to laugh at this. He wondered how Lex would handle this, knowing Lena was just testing him.

"Lena, honey, I think you should have something more substantial than just icecream."

Lena grinned at her father. "So it's not 'anything'," she said.

"Brat!" Lex said fondly.

After lunch, they explored the rest of the zoo. Clark ignored the stares from other patrons. They seemed to find it rather odd that Lex Luthor was walking around Metropolis Zoo like any other member of the public. But Lena didn't seem to notice. She was too happy that her father was playing hooky from work just to spend time with her.

It was mid-afternoon by the time they finally left the zoo. Lena was happily clutching a stuffed lion her father had bought for her. Lex didn't normally spoil or indulge his daughter, as he wanted her to have a normal childhood, but Clark could understand why today. The bond between father and daughter was obvious as Lena chattered away happily.

Lex pulled out his car keys and looked at Clark.

"So I'll see you both at dinner?" he asked.

"We'll be there," Clark told him. "We still have that pool game."

Lex frowned, then remembered. "Oh yeah. That's right. I get a chance to beat your ass."

"In your dreams, big brother," Clark snorted.

He watched as Lex ushered his daughter into the car. In spite of Lex's workaholic habits, he was a good father, and Lena clearly loved him. Clark hoped that he would get that lucky one day. Lois was right. Whether or not a child was biologically his didn't matter. What mattered was the love between parent and child.

Still, having a daughter who would take after Lois in every way would be the icing on the cake for him. He knew he would love his little girl as much, if not more, as he loved Lena.

As he drove Lois to her townhouse so she could pack a few things for the weekend, he thought about the situation. He hadn't discussed the prospect of having children with a human woman with Jor-El because he had never met anyone he'd wanted to have children with until Lois. And he still wasn't sure he wanted to have that conversation with his birth father. He and Jor-El, or rather the avatar of the man who had given him life, had never got along at the best of times.

It wasn't that Jor-El was cold. When he'd programmed the system to provide Clark with all he needed for his survival on this world, he had left out all emotion, thinking that he'd made too many mistakes due to those emotions. Clark didn't buy it. It had made it harder to relate to him on a more personal level.

He decided he would discuss the matter with Lex and see what his brother could come up with. But he wasn't going to say anything to Lois until he could be sure of what they were facing.

Lois nudged him.

"Hey, are you okay? You're awfully quiet."

"Just thinking."

"About what?" she asked.

Clark almost rolled his eyes. He understood that Lois was concerned, but why was it that every woman wanted to know what he was thinking? He liked sharing things with Lois. He really did, but how on Earth did he answer this one? If he said he wasn't thinking about anything in particular, she would know he was lying. She knew him well enough by now to know that he didn't fall into long silences if he wasn't thinking about something important.

Then again, if he lied and told her something completely different from what he had been thinking, then she would get mad at him for lying to her, when he'd already said it was something he never did. And she would feel hurt that he was keeping something from her.

"It's okay," she said with a sigh. "You don't have to tell me."

This time he did roll his eyes. Because now she was feeling left out of something, or that he was keeping something from her. Clark bit his lip.

"Lois, it's not that I don't want to share what I'm thinking. It's just ... well, it's something I need to sort out in my own head first."

"And sometimes it helps to share to gain a better perspective," she pointed out.

"In most cases, I would agree with you, honey, but I just need to figure some things out. That's all. I promise you that when I am ready to share this with you, I will." He reached over and stroked her cheek. "Okay?"

Lois was staring at him, looking a little stunned.

"Did you just call me honey?" Had he? Oh yeah, he had.

"Um, yes?"

"Oh." She was silent for a moment. "You know, I never really thought of myself as a pet name kind of person."

She was still pondering that idea when he pulled up at her townhouse. He got out and opened the door for her, walking down the sidewalk with her to her door, then using his spare key to open the front door.

Lois turned around as soon as the door was closed.

"So, um, what other pet names did you have in mind?"

Clark grinned. This was going to be fun.

"Hmm, darling, sweetheart, babycakes ..."

She frowned. "Babycakes? Sounds more like a gunmoll from the forties."

"Well, how about this? Angel? Hot Lips?"

"Hot Lips? Why Hot Lips?"

"You can't think why?" he asked. "Then let me demonstrate." He claimed her lips with his, letting his tongue take just a tiny taste of her sweet fruit. "You are just about the hottest damn woman I've ever been with."

"Only just about?" she teased.

Clark rolled his eyes at her. "Stop fishing for compliments, Lane. You know you beat all the other women I've dated hands down."

"Oh? What about that brunette you were flirting with in the boutique?"

Clark frowned. "What brunette?"

"Weekend before last," she reminded him.

Clark had almost forgotten about the brunette. Sure, she was pretty, but she didn't hold a candle to Lois. He was sorry he'd broken the date with the girl, but even then she had seen the chemistry between him and Lois. To make up for it, he'd introduced her to one of the sports reporters at the Planet. A guy by the name of Steve Lombard. Mary Ellen had been more than forgiving once she'd met Steve.

"Lois, you are it for me, okay?"

"So even if you met someone like ... I don't know ... that girl who plays Elena from that show about vampires. You'd still think I'm hotter?" Clark slowly pushed her back toward the bedroom.

"What girl?" he said, moving to kiss her again.

"What about Cat?" she asked, as he peeled her blouse from her shoulders.

"Cat who?" he whispered.

"Ooh, good answer," Lois returned, her knees hitting the edge of the bed. Her hands were busy undoing the zipper of his jeans, just as he was undoing hers. Clark quickly kicked off his shoes, kissing her as he lowered her to the mattress.

Lois kissed him back hard, wrapping her arms around his neck as she drew him down to her. Clark began kissing her jaw, nibbling on her earlobe, eliciting a soft sigh from her. Slowly, he moved down, kissing her neck, then her breasts, and finally her belly. Lois let her legs fall open, and he moved easily between them, placing a soft kiss at the apex of her thighs.

"Clark," Lois moaned softly.

He took in the soft, breathy moans, loving the way her body writhed underneath him. He heard her gasp as he slowly licked her, tasting the sweet dew, before thrusting his tongue inside her. He nibbled and licked and sucked until she was panting, pushing her mound into his face.

Clark withdrew, gently coaxing her to lay on her stomach. He grabbed one of the smaller pillows which had fallen on the floor, sliding it under her hips so her butt was higher. Then he slowly explored his way down her spine with just his mouth. By this time, Lois was begging him, but he was determined to take his time, to savour it. He knew even then, he would want more. He could not get enough of Lois Lane.

Using his thumbs to part her butt cheeks, Clark licked around her hole, grinning to himself as Lois clenched her cheeks reflexively.

"Relax for me, sweetheart," he said softly.

She made a noise at the endearment but otherwise didn't respond, relaxing as he tenderly massaged her. It was obvious that no other lover had ever done this to her before and Clark was going to make the most of it. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he continued to explore her with his mouth, hearing her soft sighs as she began to enjoy what he was doing. Then Lois cried out as he thrust inside her hole with his tongue.

"Oh my god!" she cried.

He shushed her, laying a gentle but firm hand on her back as she tried to get up, either to roll over or to get on hands and knees.

"It's okay," he said. "Just relax."

"Clark, please!" she moaned.

He knew how aroused she was. He could smell her heady perfume and it had his dick throbbing with his own arousal. But through the years he'd learned control and knew he could hold off on his own release.

Moving his hand underneath her, he began stroking her. Lois moaned again, and writhed against him, signalling how close she was to her own release. He could feel tiny spasms as her body reacted to his touch.

"Claaaark!"

Once again shushing her, Clark chuckled as she turned her head and fixed him with a fierce glare.

"Okay, okay, I know what you want," he told her.

Clark used his free hand to guide himself inside her, filling her so slowly that Lois gave a tortured sigh. Lois' vaginal muscles contracted around him, as if trying to pull him in, but he refused to give in to her body's signals or his own body's urges to thrust hard and fast. If he did then this would be over too quickly.

He lay over her, keeping most of his weight off her as he made love to her. Lois moved against him, trying to make him go faster, but he was having none of it. He continued to thrust slowly until, finally, his own body couldn't stand the pressure.

Slipping his hands to her belly, Clark manoeuvred himself to a sitting position, with Lois on his lap. At this angle, he was able to thrust deeper inside her and Lois gave a low moan as he filled her completely. She tilted her head back on his shoulder so he could capture her mouth in a kiss. She took his hands and moved them to her breasts, then let him go and began stroking herself. Clark's movements sped up and he thrust hard until Lois stiffened, her muscles squeezing him. With a cry, he let go.

Lois shifted off his lap and he slipped out of her, feeling her body shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her lay down.

She looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.

"Am I okay? God, Clark, that was incredible!"

"Well, I aim to please," he returned, grinning at her. Lois snorted and punched his shoulder.

They settled down in the bed. Clark stroked her back, chuckling as Lois yawned. She snuggled closer to him, and he pulled her into his arms so her head lay on his shoulder.

"Mm, we still have to go to Lex's for dinner," Lois mumbled sleepily.

"We've got time," he said. "Go to sleep baby."

"Love you," she said, yawning again.

"I love you," he answered.

He woke an hour later realising he had left just enough time for a quick shower before he had to drive to his brother's. Lois was still sleeping beside him, her head tucked into his shoulder, her hair in a tangled mess on the pillow.

Clark tilted his head and captured her lips in a sweet kiss meant to tease her into wakefulness. Lois moaned and muttered something, stretching.

"Time to wake up sleepyhead," he said softly.

"Nooo, wanna stay here," she moaned.

"And Lex will be mad if we don't go for dinner," he reminded her.

Lois tried to burrow under the covers. Clark decided there was nothing for it but to pick her up and carry her to the shower. Lois squealed in indignation when he turned on the water.

"That's cold!" she said, shivering.

"But you're awake now," he chuckled.

"You're mean!" she pouted. "You're a mean man, Clark Luthor."

He kissed her quickly. "Sure," he said. "Say that now."

Lois responded by putting her arms around his neck, opening her mouth to let him thrust his tongue in. They kissed for a few seconds, the water running down their naked bodies.

Clark pulled away and looked at her.

"Keep that up and we'll be late for dinner," he told her.

"Foiled again!" she sighed.

"And what dastardly plan did you have, Ms Lane?"

"Well, I was hoping to keep you tied to my bed forever," she said.

Clark laughed. "Would never work. There isn't a rope that can hold me."

"Oh no, these are magic ropes," she said. "They work on invulnerable aliens."

"Magic ropes?" Oh, this was so silly. And he adored her for it.

He grabbed the shower gel and body brush and washed her down. Lois loved the attention, making noises that sounded a lot like the purring she'd made the night before. When he was done worshipping her, Lois turned and did the same for him. Clark had to tamp down on his desire for her, knowing they didn't have time to get distracted.

By the time they were dressed and on their way to Lex's, it was almost seven. Lois leaned forward and played with the radio dials until she found a station that played eighties music. And as the guitar riff began to play he rolled his eyes. How did she manage to find a song by Whitesnake?

_**Something in your smile was so inviting  
>Something in your eyes told me to stay<br>Something in your touch electrified me  
>Completing me in every single way<strong>_

Now I realise as I look in your eyes  
>This must be love<br>Baby try to understand, my heart is in your hand

Love will set you free  
>Love will set you free<br>You can trust in me  
>My love will set you free<p>

__He frowned at her.

"What is it about Whitesnake that you love so much?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I guess, well, my mom used to like some of their stuff. When Dad was away on a mission, she used to play their albums. I mean, it's kind of like how you feel about that song last night. I guess it just helps me feel closer to her."

Clark understood that. He often played the song when he was missing his mother. But somehow he just couldn't imagine someone like Ella Lane being into a hard rock group like Whitesnake.

"It's not just hard rock," Lois told him when he mentioned that. "I mean, they do some really nice power ballads too. You know, like that song you got them to play in the club the other night."

Clark had forgotten about that. Lois grinned at him.

"Hey, don't knock my taste in music, and I won't knock yours. Deal?"

"Okay, deal," he said.

Lena must have been looking out for them as she flung open the door.

"Uncle Clark, Aunt Lois," she shouted.

"Hey baby," Clark said as he scooped her up in his arms.

"Guess what?" Lena said. "Daddy got me a kitten!"

"Really?" he answered.

She scrambled down from his arms and pulled him by the hand along the hallway.

"Come see," she said.

As Clark entered the living room, he saw a tiny ball of black fluff curled up on the couch. Lena flopped on the cushions and picked up the kitten. Startled, it mewed plaintively.

"Lena, gently," her father admonished her from the doorway. "She's only little, remember?"

"Sorry Daddy. See Uncle Clark? Isn't she cute?"

"She's very cute honey. What are you calling her?"

"Well, I wanted to call her Hermione, after the girl in Harry Potter, but Daddy says it's a bit of a mouthful, and then I thought Midnight, 'cause she's all black, but then I thought that would be a funny name for a cat and Daddy suggested Minnie, 'cause it's sort of a combination of the two."

"Minnie," Lois said. "That's a good name. And she does look she suits it."

"Want to hold her?" Lena asked Lois, holding out the kitten. "But she might try to bite you."

"I think I can handle a bite from a kitten," Lois smiled, taking the little bundle. The kitten just looked up at her as she held it carefully in one hand, stroking its back gently. The little animal just yawned delicately and settled on her hand.

"She likes you Aunt Lois."

"Yeah, I think you're right Lena." Lois sat down on the couch and lowered the kitten to the cushions. "Let's let her sleep while we have dinner, okay honey?"

"Okay." Lena jumped up and grabbed Lois' hand. "I'm hungry."

"Go wash up first, Lena."

Lois grinned up at Clark and he smiled back, winking at her.

"Come on, Lena, show me the bathroom so we can both wash up."

Clark chuckled as Lex rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess," he said. "She's been driving you crazy since you brought the kitten home."

"Yep."

"But she seems happier. You should play hooky more often."

"Look who's talking," Lex commented. "No wild guesses on what you and Lois have been doing since you left the zoo."

"I don't kiss and tell," Clark told his brother.

"Since when," Lex snorted. Clark followed him into the dining room.

As they sat down at the table to wait for the girls to return, Clark looked at him seriously.

"There's something I need to talk to you about. Concerning me and Lois."

"You haven't proposed already, have you? Since I have it on good authority that you and Lois are planning on tying the knot."

"No, I haven't proposed. But I will. I just want it to be special. And it does have something to do with that. But we'll talk later about it," he said, as Lois and Lena came back in.

Dinner was similar to the breakfast they'd all shared that morning. Clark could see the laughter in Lois' eyes as they bantered back and forth. He loved teasing his brother, and Lex clearly enjoyed the verbal judo. It was something that they hadn't done enough of in the years they'd barely been able to say a civil word to each other.

Lois volunteered to load the dishwasher and Lena volunteered to clear the table so Lex and Clark could set up the pool table for their game. Clark was glad of the opportunity as it gave him a chance to broach the subject with his brother.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Lex asked as he began setting the balls on the green baize.

"I want to have a baby," he blurted.

Lex chuckled. "Well, last time I checked, Clark, you're a guy. Alien or no. I don't think it's possible."

"Har de har har har. Very funny. I meant with Lois, dork,"

Lex looked at him, his expression serious.

"All kidding aside, is this really what you want?"

"I love Lois. More than I have ever loved anyone."

"But Clark, you've barely been dating a week."

"We've spent practically every moment together since then, and I know how I feel, Lex. I'm so in love with her I can't see straight. I just know that she's the one I'm meant to be with for the rest of my life."

"However long that is," Lex commented. Clark frowned at him. "Well, come on, Clark, we don't really know how long you'll live for."

Clark sighed. "Yeah, but that's not the point, really. I mean, one thing I've learned from the last few days is that you have to grasp at every chance you have at happiness. And Lois makes me happy."

"You really are gone, aren't you? I never would have thought it, you know? I mean, I've done my own share of sowing, but I never thought you would find someone to settle down with." He picked up the pool cue and started chalking the tip. "So, why a baby?"

"Because I know Lois wants kids, and so do I. And it would be like, you know, the icing on the cake for us. We were talking about it this morning and it's just something that I feel strongly about."

"So what's the problem then?"

"I don't know if I can have kids," he said. "I mean, with the whole 'alien' thing."

Lex bit his lip. "Okay, yeah, I can see where that might be a problem. But Clark, I have to be honest here. You're jumping into this mighty fast. I mean, you and Lois have only just got together and you haven't even discussed marriage yet. Don't you think you should, I don't know, get married first and then think about having kids?"

Clark knew Lex had a point where that was concerned. But he had a deeper motive in mind.

"I just ... I'd rather know Lex. Because if there was a chance I couldn't have kids, I would rather Lois have that choice."

"What? You mean choose to stay?"

"Or find someone who can give her that."

"Clark, you'd deny your own happiness just so Lois can have a biological child? You know as well as I do that biology doesn't guarantee someone will be a good parent. Or have you forgotten what Lionel did to both of us?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. And yeah, that's kind of what Lois said."

"You can always adopt, you know."

"Yeah, she said that too."

"Well, it sounds to me like Lois has already made that choice. Clark, Lois loves you. She makes that plainly obvious. Whether or not you can have a biological child is irrelevant."

"Still ..."

"And I think you need to give it time, Clark. Let yourselves settle into the relationship first. Get married, or whatever. You know, lots of couples have problems conceiving. But they usually wait a couple of years before they start thinking about the whys and wherefores. You're only twenty-five. You have time."

"And I feel like I've wasted most of the last five years."

"No, I don't think so," Lex said, shaking his head. "If you hadn't had the experiences you've had over the last few years, all the women you've been with, you wouldn't have recognised the real thing when you found it. And despite all your abilities, you really weren't emotionally mature enough for it when you were twenty. Trust me, Clark. I made my share of mistakes too at that age. I mean, I might have Lena out of it, but in a lot of ways, I don't think I was mature enough either to get married at twenty-three." Lex laid the stick on the table and came around, laying his hands on Clark's shoulders. "You don't have to be in such a rush, Clark. Lois is worth the wait."

Clark nodded. Lex was right. He was too impatient, too impulsive. Lionel had told him it was one of his failings. He could afford to take the time. Lois was the one. And whether they got married and started a family now or in a year or so didn't matter. He could wait.


	43. Pool

Chapter Forty-Three

Lois had been able to tell from the look Clark had given Lex after dinner that he wanted to have a serious talk with his brother, so she had stalled as long as possible with cleaning up the kitchen. Lena had helped by bringing in the dishes and chattering away happily.

"So, Aunt Lois, when you and Uncle Clark get married ..."

"Sweetie, he hasn't even asked me yet. And it's only been a couple of weeks."

"But you're going to, right?"

"If he asked me I wouldn't say no," she said, not wanting to commit herself to any other answer and disappoint the girl.

The truth was, she really had only been dating Clark a week or so and things had been moving very quickly. She wanted time to enjoy being with him before the pressure of an engagement, then a wedding. She knew she loved him, and that he was the one she wanted to be with the rest of her life, but it was still way too soon to be thinking about marriage, never mind discussing the things they'd been discussing that morning.

"But when you do," Lena continued, "would I get to be in the wedding?"

"Now, Lena, do you really think we'd leave you out of something like that?"

Lena grinned. "I guess not."

"Hey, you know your Uncle Clark and I love you very much."

Lena came over and wrapped her little arms around her in a hug.

"I love you too, Aunt Lois. Can I tell you a little secret?"

"Sure honey."

"I like you lots more than the other girls Uncle Clark's gone out with."

"You've met some of them?" Lois asked.

"A few," Lena said, grabbing a grape from the fruit bowl she'd just put on the table. "And they're not nearly as nice as you."

"Well, honey, I'll take that as a compliment."

Lois went to the fridge and took out a pitcher of juice.

"Can I have some?" Lena asked.

"It's may I," Lois corrected. "And yes." She found a couple of glasses and poured a glass full each, moving to sit at the table to drink.

Lena started to pull a chair out beside her, then changed her mind and sat in her lap.

"Can I tell you something else?" she whispered.

"What, honey?"

"I was scared. When Uncle Lucas ... when he hurt Mommy ..."

"Sweetie, it's okay to be scared. It was a scary situation."

"I don't like Uncle Lucas. He's mean."

"Yes, he is," Lois said, rubbing the girl's back. "But you know what, Uncle Clark and your daddy are going to make sure Lucas can't ever hurt you, ever again."

"Because he's in jail?"

Lois didn't quite know how to answer that one. Sure, Lucas was in jail, but anything could happen. He had, after all, been working with Intergang. There was a good chance that he might use someone to try to get at Lena. But she knew Lex and Clark would do everything in their power to make sure that didn't happen. As would Oliver and Bruce and every other member of the Justice League.

Lena looked up at her, expecting an answer. To Lois' relief, Clark walked in grinning at the two of them sitting at the table. He swiped Lena's half full glass of juice and took a huge gulp of it. Lena scowled up at him.

"That's mine, Uncle Clark! Get your own!"

Clark's expression was priceless. He slowly lowered the glass, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Is that so, squirt? Well, in that case ..." He lifted the glass to his mouth once more, pretending to take another huge swallow. Lena squealed.

"That's mean. Gimme it," she said, leaping up from Lois' lap and trying to jump up to take it from him. Clark laughed and shifted the glass to his other hand, holding it up high.

Lena made a frustrated growl, still trying to get it from him. She squealed again when he scooped her up, putting the glass on the counter, then turned her upside down.

"Nooooo!" she giggled.

"Clark, geez, she's just had her dinner!" Lex admonished him.

Clark threw his brother a look, but let Lena down, handing her the glass and patting her on the backside.

"Scoot, shortstuff."

Lena finished her juice, putting the glass on the table. Then she turned and poked her tongue out at him. Clark pretended to growl, making a face at her. Giggling, Lena tried tickling him until he grabbed her, squeezing her and pretending to bite her.

Lex looked at Lois, sighing and shaking his head.

"Kids!"

Lois laughed. It was good to see Clark looking so relaxed and having fun with his niece. Especially after what had happened a few days ago.

She watched as Lex began to fill up the coffee pot and put it on to percolate.

"Don't forget to change the filter," Clark told him.

"Oh. Yeah."

Clark rolled his eyes, grinning at Lois. "Hopeless!"

Lena jumped on him again, making him fall to the floor and he laughed, rolling her over and tickling her until she squealed.

"Clark!" Lex said in exasperation. "I thought we had a game?"

"Yeah, yeah, coming." Clark got up with Lena in his arms and looked at Lois. "Are you coming?" he asked.

"To watch Lex beat your a... butt at pool?" she said with a quick glance at Lena, who hadn't seemed to notice the little slip.

She followed Clark down the hallway into what was clearly the games room. In the middle was a pool table, but there was also a television in the far corner where a game controller was set up and a couple of comfortable armchairs.

Clark dumped Lena in one of the armchairs, turning it around so Lena could watch the action. Then he looked at Lois. She took the hint and sat in the other armchair. Clark leaned over, his hands on the arms as he kissed her quickly.

"Hey!" Lex said sharply. "None of that! Get your butt over here, little brother."

Clark smirked down at her, then straightened up, going to grab the cue stick off Lex. He moved around to the top end of the table.

"So," Lois said, "what are the stakes, boys?"

Lex raised an eyebrow at her. "Stakes? Miss Lane, you wouldn't be encouraging gambling in front of my impressionable daughter, now would you?"

Lois laughed. "Worth a shot," she said.

"Speaking of shots," Clark grumbled, "c'mon Lex."

As Lois watched, they both lined up a ball at the top of the table, hitting them square in the middle. The balls rolled quickly down to the bottom end, hitting the rail cushions, then rolled back the other way. It was clear who was going to win as Lex's ball hit the top cushion first.

"You break," Lex told Clark.

Clark shot him a dirty look. Sinking balls on the break took skill. Lois had wondered if Clark's abilities would give him an advantage but judging from the way Lex was smirking at him, she guessed that wasn't the case.

Clark lined up the cue ball and narrowed his eyes at the set-up. The fifteen coloured balls were sitting in a triangle shape at the bottom end of the table.

"No x-raying now," Lex snickered. "You can't cheat your way out of this one."

Clark was getting ready to take his shot when Lex bumped the table. Lois suppressed a giggle.

"Don't smash the ball now," Lex said with a smirk.

Clark stood up and glowered at his brother.

"Lex?"

"Yes Clark," Lex said, putting on an innocent look.

"Shut up!"

Lena giggled and Clark shot her a look as well.

"Not helping squirt."

"Don't worry Clark, she's laughing at you, not with you."

"Lex, zip it!"

Oh, this was going to be fun, Lois thought. Lex was quiet as Clark took his first shot. Two balls were pocketed on the break. One a solid, the other a stripe.

"That's too bad, Clark," Lex said. "Looks like you lost on the break."

Clark glared at him. "What? Oh, come on, Lex."

"My table, my rules. And my rules say if you pocket both a solid and a stripe you lose. Rack 'em up little brother."

Clark growled under his breath, but racked up the balls again. Lex smirked at him as he came around the table.

"Back up and let a pro show you how it's done," he said.

"Pro cheater," Clark mumbled.

Lex looked at him. "What was that?"

"Just take the shot!" Clark sighed.

Lois continued to watch for the next half hour, laughing at the way the brothers tried to one-up the other. If Lex wasn't deliberately interfering with the table, Clark was. And she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd used his super-speed or something at one point as the table shook just as Lex was taking his shot, making him miss, yet Clark was standing on the other side of the room.

By the time Lois went to pour them all coffee, Lex was up two games and Clark had won one. Lena had gone to find Minnie and had settled down in the armchair with the kitten on her lap. She'd dozed off a few minutes earlier.

Just as she began pouring the coffee, there was a knock on the door. Knowing the men were deep in their game, she went to answer it.

"Mayson."

"Hi, Lois. Is Lex here?"

"Yeah, him and Clark are playing pool. And trust me, they play dirty."

"Well, there's something I need to discuss with him. With all of you, actually."

"I think they're just about done with this game," Lois said, hearing Clark's yells of triumph, guessing he was close to winning another one. "I was just making coffee. Would you like one?"

"Thanks. I would."

Mayson followed her into the kitchen, looking around her.

"This is a nice place," she said.

"Yeah, Lex bought it when he came back from Europe."

"Oh, that's right, he spent six years there."

"It was right after he found out about Lena. I think he took her there to protect her from Lionel."

"I'm not surprised," Mayson commented as she sat at the counter. "I've been looking through some of the papers Lex gave to me. On the experiments Lionel was doing with people who were meteor-infected. There's quite a long list."

"Yeah, Lionel was quite a bastard from what I've been told. You want cream and sugar?"

"Just cream, thanks. I'm sweet enough," Mayson grinned. "So, is it just Lex and Lena, or does Clark live here too?" She frowned. "Oh, wait, I forgot, he has an apartment downtown."

"Yeah, but he stays here sometimes. Just to help Lex out."

Clark and Lex came in, mocking each other.

"Thought I heard voices," Lex said. "Hello Mayson. I didn't expect to see you."

"Hello, Lex, I'm sorry to disturb you on a Friday night."

"That's okay. I was just kicking Clark's ass."

Lois noticed Clark's crestfallen expression. She guessed that Clark had celebrated too soon as it was obvious Lex had won the game.

"He cheats," Clark mumbled.

Having watched both of them through the games, Lois could debate that it was like the pot calling the kettle black. Clark must have noticed her expression.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm not saying a word," she said.

"Fine. Then how about you and me in a game?"

Lois snorted. "I bet I can beat you. I've been taught by army grunts since I was a kid."

"Then put your money where your mouth is, Lane."

"Uh, before you do that," Mayson said quietly. "We need to talk. As you know, the arraignment was today, and ..."

"Daddy!"

Lena came in, holding the kitten and rubbing her eyes. She stopped when she saw Mayson.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Honey, this is Miss Drake," Lex said, gathering his daughter into his arms. Lena pressed her face into her father's chest and looked at Mayson with one eye.

Mayson smiled gently. "You must be Lena. I saw you at the service the other day but we didn't get a chance to meet." She was looking over Lena. "Is that your kitten? It's beautiful."

"My daddy got her for me today," Lena said.

"I wish I could have a kitten," Mayson said wistfully. "But I can't have one in my building."

"How come?" Lena asked, interested in spite of her shyness.

"My building manager doesn't like cats."

"Is he mean to them?"

Mayson nodded. "I had a cat when I was growing up. We had a little house in Connecticut. He was a big ginger thing."

"What was his name?" Lena asked.

"Sparky," Mayson laughed.

Lois watched the conversation between Lena and Mayson. She had to admit it was very clever of Mayson to use the topic of the kitten as a way of connecting to Lena. Not that she thought Mayson was making things up. From the look on the other woman's face, Lois could see that she did like cats. Lena had approached Mayson with the kitten in her arms and was letting her stroke it.

Lex was looking at the clock.

"I think it's time you were in bed," he told his daughter.

"But Daddy ..." Lena began to protest, turning a pleading look on her father.

"No, Lena. Bed. And no, the kitten cannot sleep with you. It'll have to sleep in the laundry."

Lena pouted. "But she'll get lonely in there."

"And I'd rather that than her have an 'accident'." He put an arm around his daughter and prodded her gently. "Give your uncle and aunt a kiss goodnight and go brush your teeth."

Reluctantly Lena did so, still hugging the kitten as if it was too precious to let go. Lois hugged Lena and kissed her on the cheek, then watched as Clark did the same.

"'Night squirt," he said.

Lena turned and looked at Mayson. "'Bye," she said. "It was nice meeting you."

"Same here, Lena," Mayson smiled.

Lex looked apologetically at Mayson.

"I'll just get her settled for the night. I won't be long."

"Take your time."

Clark poured himself a cup of coffee.

"So how's the case going, Mayson?"

"We have enough evidence to put Lucas away for a long time," she answered, sipping her own coffee.

Lois listened as Clark and Mayson chatted. Clark kept it to the business at hand for a while, until it turned to more personal matters. She wondered if Clark was trying to get information out of the woman, knowing of her interest in Lex. She could understand that Clark was just trying to be protective of his brother, but Lex was old enough to protect himself against any would-be gold-diggers.

She supposed that even though Clark had slept with the woman, his involvement hadn't stretched to knowing too much about her personally.

As Mayson excused herself to find the bathroom, she sidled up close to him.

"Don't you think you're being a little too, um, personal?"

Clark frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to give her the third degree!"

"You saw the way she was looking at Lex. She's definitely interested in him. I just don't want him to get hurt again."

"And that's up to Lex to worry about."

"Lex would do the same for me." He frowned. "Actually, Lex did it for you."

It was Lois' turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

"He kept telling me to keep it professional between us."

Lois nodded. That she could understand. There had been moments when, soon after learning that Lex had taken over the Daily Planet, she had considered resigning. She had, after all, thought that Lex was tarred with the same brush as his father. And Clark's behaviour toward her had been, for want of a better word, aggressive. His reputation hadn't exactly been one of the things that had endeared him to her.

"I get that," she told Clark finally. "But there's a big difference between you and me and him and Mayson. Besides, he hasn't even asked her out yet, so just back off, okay?"

Lex and Mayson came in, obviously having met out in the hall. Mayson was complimenting him on Lena and Lex was smiling broadly. He clearly loved anyone praising his daughter.

The conversation turned serious as Lex poured himself a coffee and offered Mayson a second cup, which she took with a smile.

"What can we do for you, Mayson?"

"Well, firstly, I thought you'd want to hear the outcome of the arraignment. Lucas has been held in custody. The judge decided he was a flight risk."

"Who's the judge?" Clark asked.

"Sinclair."

Lex winced. "Yeah, I'm not surprised then. The woman is incorruptible."

Lois snorted. Incorruptible wasn't the word, she thought. Joan Sinclair was known as a barracuda in all circles. She was a tough woman and an equally tough lawyer who had risen to the judgeship with a reputation for having won most of her difficult cases. Those she had lost had been through no fault of her own.

"You said 'firstly'," Clark said. "What's the second thing?"

"Well, word has it from the prison that Lucas has already met with someone to get rid of the witnesses. Namely you three. It's a lost cause. There's enough evidence on Lucas that we can get by without witness testimony."

"That's comforting," Lois commented.

"Sorry," Mayson said with a little grin. She bit her lip, looking as if she wasn't sure how to broach the next subject.

"What is it?" Lex asked.

"Well, there is a little problem. Judge Sinclair has been reviewing the case and she has some concerns about the Blur's involvement. As well as Green Arrow and Batman. She's one of these people who doesn't like the idea of masked vigilantes."

Lois frowned at her. "Well, the Blur has done a lot of good in this city."

"That's all very well," Mayson said, "but the point is, The Blur hides himself in the shadows. We don't know who he is. I mean, is he just someone who shows up when you need him? Does he have a name? Or is he, you know, just a figment of people's imagination? Something people make up to explain something that can't be explained. Look, I'm not saying it could hurt our case, but it wouldn't hurt either if he at least came forward. The same with Batman and Green Arrow. I'm not asking them to unmask themselves. Just answer a few questions we'd like answered."

Lois risked a glance at Clark. This was one of the things she feared. Clark was recognisable. If he came forward as the Blur, neither of them would have any privacy. Sure, as a Luthor, Clark's life was pretty much an open book already, and his cable show saw to it that he had a following, albeit a small percent of the population, but a following just the same.


	44. Bet

Chapter Forty-Four

Clark knew as soon as Mayson mentioned The Blur that Lois would bring up the subject of him outing himself again. And he had been thinking about it. After all, it was one of the reasons why he was giving up the cable show. Another reason, of course, was that the show just didn't appeal to him anymore. It had been a stopgap. A way to defy his father until he could get into serious journalism. Now that he was a published reporter, he didn't need the show anymore.

The big problem about allowing The Blur to come out of the shadows was the fact that he would be instantly recognisable. Well, perhaps only to the ten percent of the population that actually watched his cable show, or the other maybe forty percent of the population that read the gossip columns and had seen his photograph. The Luthor name was prominent in the city, notorious even, and with the events of the last few days it would be even more so.

Clark had spent much of his teenage years barely able to go anywhere without the paparazzi trying to get a photo. Of course, Clark had done little to prevent it, even though he could have just used his superspeed to get in and out of clubs, and his antics had made good copy. Lionel had had to spend millions on damage control.

It was a dilemma. But both Mayson and Lois had a point. The public wanted someone they could look up to. Someone they could trust. And they couldn't trust someone who kept to the shadows.

Mayson and Lex were quietly chatting and Lois was sending him looks, suggesting they give Lex some privacy. He knew what she was trying to do and it was definitely about time Lex took an interest in dating. Whether Mayson Drake would turn out to be the right match was not for him to decide.

He canted his head and nodded toward the gamesroom. Lois followed him out. As soon as she entered the room, he turned around, taking her in his arms and pushing her against the pool table, kissing her deeply. Lois moaned softly.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly when he finally let her go.

"Felt like it," he said with a shrug.

He moved around the table and began setting up the balls. Lois took one of the sticks from the rack and tested its balance. He glanced at her. He hadn't quite believed that she could play, but she seemed to know what she was doing.

"So? Are you gonna put your money where your mouth is?" he asked.

"Afraid to take me, Luthor?" she challenged.

He trapped her against the table, wrapping his arms around her and grinning at her wickedly.

"Hell no. Care to make a wager?"

"What do I get if I win?" she asked.

"Who says you're going to win?" he returned.

Lois ran a finger down his chest, making him shiver at the brief contact.

"Try me," she whispered.

"Okay," he answered, "if you win, you get to do anything you want to me in bed tonight."

"Anything?" she asked, with a gleam in her eye.

Clark looked at her wondering if he might regret his words. Then again, she hadn't won yet.

"And if I win," he continued, "I get to do the same thing to you."

"You haven't won yet, Luthor," she told him. "But you've got yourself a deal."

To seal it, he took her mouth with his, pulling her tight up against his body, his hands on her butt. He squeezed her cheeks, eliciting a whimper from her. His nose caught a whiff of the shampoo she'd used to wash her hair that morning; a delicate, hint of citrus, which instantly had him hardening in his pants. And judging from the way Lois' whimpered again, she had felt it.

When he pulled away, she glowered at him.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," she said. "But it'll take more than that to distract me."

He grinned at her. "We'll see."

Lois' grin was almost feral as she slid her gaze up and down his body.

"We will, won't we?"

Lois bent over to pick up the cue she'd dropped when he'd kissed her, giving him a nice view of her shapely ass, her thong peeking out from under the band of the tight jeans she was wearing. Clark's mouth watered. He'd love to mould himself to the curves of that ass, caress the cheeks, feel her heat ...

"Luthor!"

Clark looked up, startled to find he'd been caught fantasising. Lois was grinning at him, waiting at the business end of the table.

"Get your mind out of gutterville, Luthor. I've got a game to win."

Not if I can help it, he told himself.

Lois ended up winning the toss and she chose to break. Clark bit his lip as she bent over the table to take her first shot. Focus, Luthor, he told himself, unable to take his eyes off her sexy figure. Perfect ass, perfect breasts. God, she was just ... perfect.

The distraction cost him. Lois sunk the fifteen on the break, then the twelve on the next shot. She missed the eleven and the cue ball ended up just on the edge of the corner pocket, blocked by another stripe, making it a tricky shot for Clark.

"Thanks," he told her, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I did warn you."

"Think you're so clever, Lane."

He crouched down to examine his options. Of which there were few. Lois grinned at him from above.

"You can't cheat, you know."

"As if I would."

"You did with Lex."

"He started it."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"What are you? Five?"

Clark rolled his eyes at her, standing up and giving her a quick peck on the nose.

"All right, Miss Smartass. You get one."

"One what?" she chuckled.

Clark ignored that and turned back to the game. She'd boxed him in. There was no way he could hit the cue ball without hitting one of hers. But he could make it harder for her to win. Having decided on his strategy, Clark took his shot. Sure enough, the ball hit the stripe, but it knocked it away from the pocket, which had been his aim. Clark had lost a turn, but he was far from losing the game.

Lex came in about halfway through the game, watching with a grin on his face. Lois had sunk almost all of hers, but the last two remained elusive. Clark glanced up at his brother, then winked, sinking another ball. He was on a roll now, he decided.

He heard Lois' growl of annoyance as he sunk his last one, then turned to the eight ball. It was a pretty safe bet she was regretting making the deal with him. But she should have known he would be that competitive.

With a smirk, Clark sunk the last ball.

"Damn!" Lois exclaimed.

"Sorry babe," he said. "I did warn you."

"I want a rematch," she returned.

He shook his head. "A bet's a bet, Lois."

"Fine!" she said, looking as if she wanted to stamp her foot.

Lex glanced at him and nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen. Clark glanced at Lois, but she was busy setting up the table again. He followed his brother out.

"What's up?"

"Are you two planning on staying here tonight?" Lex asked. "I notice Lois packed."

"And corrupt your seven year old daughter? Not if I wanna live."

Lex grinned. Clark chuckled.

"So, how did things go with Mayson?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you ask her out?"

"Clark, come on. We were talking about the case. Not socialising."

"Did you, or didn't you?"

"I'm meeting her for dinner next Saturday," Lex grinned.

Clark smirked at him. "So I guess that means I'm babysitting?"

"You need to ask?" Lex sobered. "Mayson did say we need to watch our backs. She has a feeling there will be all sorts of dirty dealing going on."

"Did she say why the judge is concerned about Green Arrow and Batman?"

"No, but I think you need to talk to Ollie and Bruce anyway. Mayson thinks the defence may try to use them to damage our credibility."

"How?"

Clark thought about that for a moment. There were some people who considered The Blur and Green Arrow to be vigilantes and knowing the defence attorneys, they would use that to try to discredit the DA's case. An attorney could ask a potential juror the right questions to gauge their feelings toward the superheroes, in which case they could pad the jury with hero-haters.

Not to mention the fact that in spite of all they did for the city, or their respective cities anyway, the defence could make it look as if they were creating more problems for the city, instead of helping keep law and order. This could get complicated.

Back when Clark had first come up with the idea for The Blur, he'd called Lex to discuss it with him. Lex had played devil's advocate, pretending they were enemies rather than brothers, and that he didn't know Clark's feelings on the whole 'rule the world' issue. Lex had gone from the angle of someone who would not trust the evidence of Clark's saves and consider that he might have a hidden agenda. That all his efforts were really just a way of lulling people into a false sense of security.

Lex would have made a formidable enemy, Clark had thought at the time.

Lena cried out in her sleep and Lex went to check on his daughter.

Clark returned to the gamesroom to find Lois still playing pool. She was bent over the table, trying to execute a complicated shot. He moved behind her, gliding a hand smoothly down her back and over the globes of her ass.

"Your angle is wrong. I can help you with that," he said softly in her ear.

"Really," she said, refusing to straighten up.

Clark slid his hand over hers on the stick, his other arm moving around her body to cup her wrist. He pressed his body against hers, loving the little shiver he elicited from her. The game, or at least the pool game, was all but forgotten as he began to nibble on her earlobe.

Lois dropped the stick on the table, leaning her head back with a soft sigh as he began to kiss her neck. He laced his fingers through hers, nose taking in the subtle scent of her perfume as their bodies pressed close together.

"Clark," she moaned. "God. Take me home and fuck me."

"No," he said. "But I will take you home and make love to you."

"Yes!" she said, drawing out the last in a sibilant hiss.

They quickly said their goodbyes to Lex. Clark wanted to fly her back to his apartment, but he wanted to savour this. Lois was fidgeting in her seat as he drove and he knew she was feeling as aroused as he was. Driving was uncomfortable, to say the least, but sometimes drawing it out was the better option. He didn't want instant gratification with Lois.

As soon as they were inside the lift, Lois was on him, kissing him hard, pushing him against the wall of the car. Her hands were hot as she pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans, sliding them up over his torso. Her kiss was molten heat, setting him on fire. For the first time in years, Clark had to hold his breath and fight with every ounce of power he had to control his heat vision as her tongue demanded entry.

He swung her around, pressing her up against the cool interior, feeling her raise her leg to hook her knee around his waist. It immediately ratcheted up his arousal as the heat of her sex could be felt through their clothing.

"God, Lois," he moaned, desperate to feel the heat of her skin next to his. His fingers were busy trying to undo the buttons of her blouse, but either the buttons weren't co-operating or he was clumsier than normal in his desire for her.

The lift doors opened and they tumbled out. Lois gasped as he pushed her up against the wall next to his apartment door as he dug in his pocket for his keycard. He realised just barely in time that he'd slipped the keycard in her bag when he'd used it to operate the lift. And her bag was on the floor of the elevator car.

In a micro-second, he made it before the lift doors closed, grabbing the bag and the keycard, opening the door, just as Lois pounced on him again, her teeth closing on his earlobe. He felt the tug on his ear, thinking it was a good thing he was invulnerable.

Practically carrying her inside, Clark barely managed to close the door before he had her up against the wall again, ripping the buttons off her blouse in his haste to get to her creamy skin.

"Clark!" she gasped, looking down at the torn fabric. Then she shrugged. "Oh well, it wasn't my favourite anyway."

He pressed her against the wall, kissing her hard. Lois' arms came around his neck. She was threading her fingers in his hair, her grip tightening on the strands as he lifted her legs up around his waist.

Her eyes shot wide open as she clearly felt his hardness.

"Oh!"

Clark pulled off the, by now, torn remnants of her blouse, undoing the clasp of her bra and sliding the straps down, forcing Lois to let him go briefly. Her breasts, nipples peaked and hard, bobbled enticingly. Clark lifted her up a little so he could close his mouth around one of her peaks, his tongue tracing the hard nub.

Lois' fingers closed once again around strands of his hair. Her legs tightened their grip around his waist, leaving him no doubt that if he hadn't had the strength of ten humans altogether he might just have broken in half.

Clark wanted to get closer. His entire body was on fire with wanting her and he could feel a light sheen of sweat breaking out beneath his clothes. And therein lay the problem. He was still wearing clothes and Lois was only half-naked.

Reluctantly letting her down, Clark pulled away. Lois looked up at him, her expression showing disappointment. But she chuckled when Clark undressed at superspeed.

"Well, I guess there is a use for that other than getting from point A to point B in .03 seconds," she quipped.

Clark ignored that, grabbing her and quickly pulling her jeans off, leaving her clad only in her thong. She looked squarely at him, her gaze daring him. He lifted her, carrying her over to the counter, planting her on the top. Then he slowly began to bend down, kissing her torso before moving on to her sex.

Her thong was wet with her own arousal, her scent permeating his senses. Clark nudged her with his nose, taking in the scent. Then he began licking her through the fabric, feeling her squirm beneath him. Glancing up, he saw his lover lay on her back on the counter, pushing her butt out over the edge to give him more room. She spread her thighs, opening herself up for him.

Clark grinned, sliding one finger beneath the leg strap of her thong and pulled roughly, snapping it. Lois said nothing. Well, she had dared him, he thought. And she needed to learn never to dare him.

Stroking her thighs, Clark let the now broken thong drop to the floor, returning to cover her sex with his mouth. He began to thrust inside her with his tongue, loving the way she responded with soft moans which slowly began to increase in volume.

He dove deeper, thrusting a little harder and Lois cried out in utter bliss, her body going rigid as he took her over the edge.

He stood, grinning as Lois looked up at him, her body almost a wrung-out mess. But it wasn't over yet. Lifting her legs to his shoulders, he slowly began to push inside her. An agonising slowness that was torture for him and he hoped as equally torturous for her.

Lois pushed herself further over the edge of the counter, a clear sign that she wanted more. Clark set a hard rhythm, feeling her inner muscles squeezing, taking everything he had to give, and more. Until finally they both cried out in completion.

Standing on wobbly legs, Clark lifted her in his arms, carrying her through into his bedroom. Lois was still breathless, clinging to him. She nuzzled his neck as he lowered them both to the bed.

Lois sighed softly as he lay with her curled in his arms.

"Will it always be like this?" she asked.

He brushed the curls away from her face and kissed her nose.

"Like what, sweetheart?"

"Like heaven."

"I hope so, baby. I don't think I could ever get my fill of you. As long as I live."

"Mm, me either," she mumbled.


	45. Picnic

Chapter Forty-Five

Lois woke to the feeling of something wet and warm on her belly. She opened her eyes, crusted with sleep, slowly, looking down the bed. It was clearly around dawn as light was creeping in through a gap in the drapes.

"What are you doing?" she muttered.

"We had a deal, remember? Since I won the game, I get to do anything I want."

She crinkled her nose.

"It was a bet, actually. And that was last night. It's dawn."

"Semantics. I'm just collecting."

What the hell was he painting on her?

"What is that?" she asked, watching him slide his finger on her, as if he was painting designs on her stomach.

"Chocolate sauce. Warmed in the microwave."

"You're actually planning on ..."

No one had ever actually eaten off her before. And it felt kind of weird.

"Shush," he told her.

He was sitting up, putting the bottle of syrup down on the nightstand. Then he picked something else up and the bed shook as he started to shake the can up and down. Lois threw her head back, hitting the pillow and rolled her eyes. Whipped cream.

Clark bent over her again and depressed the nozzle. The cold of the cream hitting her already heated skin was a shock.

"Hey! That's cold!" she protested, reaching for him.

"Uh-uh. Don't touch!" he told her, grabbing her hand and thrusting it above her head. "Don't make me tie you up."

A tiny frisson went through her body at the thought. Clark immediately picked up on it.

"Ooh, looks like she likes that idea."

"I do ... not," she told him, shivering again as he added more cream, especially in a very sensitive spot. "You're evil, Clark."

He just smirked at her. "Well, I did warn you that my sex life hadn't exactly been vanilla."

She hated it when he was smug.

She looked up at him as he took her hands and made sure they were above her head.

"You have two choices. One, you keep your hands above your head at all times, until I say otherwise, or two, I can use something to tie your hands to the headboard. Either way, you won't get to touch. Me or yourself."

Lois bit her lip. While the thought of him tying her up did sound really kinky, and if she was honest with herself, deliciously naughty, she wasn't sure she wanted to try it. She decided the best option would be to hang on to the headboard.

"Good girl," he said softly. He leaned over her, giving her a quick kiss, telling her to close her eyes, then pressed something which felt cool and a little sticky to her lips. "Open up."

Obeying, Lois licked the surface, realising from the feel of it that it was covered with chocolate sauce. As she bit down, the juiciness practically exploded in her mouth.

"Mm, I love strawberries," she moaned.

He took the strawberry away and she protested, her mouth chasing the delicious fruit.

"Uh uh," he said, "that's not the game we're playing."

"Clark!" She heard slurping sounds and realised he was eating the rest of the strawberry. Her strawberry. "You suck!" she told him.

He paused and looked at her. She had the feeling he was laughing at her. "I ... suck?"

Uh oh, she thought as he leaned over her, his expression ominous.

"You are going to take that back," he told her.

"Um ..." She let go of the headboard, preparing to defend herself, but he was too quick for her, one hand grabbing her wrists, the other jabbing her lightly in the ribs.

"Take it back."

"What will you do if I don't?" she challenged.

He didn't answer, just pulled her into his arms, sucking on the skin at her clavicle. They were making a mess of the bedclothes with the chocolate and the cream, but he didn't seem to care.

She groaned as he began licking his way down her body, her arousal building to fever pitch. He kept his movements slow, taking time to ensure that every bit of the chocolate was licked up. He then moved down further, licking up the cream, eliciting more moans from her.

How could such gentle lovemaking drive her to the point of insanity? Lois thought. Then again, that was probably exactly what he was trying to do.

She was breathless by the time she came down from her orgasmic high, only to look up and find him grinning down at her.

"You're a mess," he grinned.

"Whose fault is that?" she retorted.

Without another word, he picked her up, carrying her into the bathroom. Lois knew better than to resist or struggle to get out of his arms. Clark liked having his way too much.

They ended up making love in the shower, with Lois mounting Clark while the water cascaded down around them.

Lois kissed him as he began to dry her off, her arms wrapped around his neck. She was just starting to enjoy being pampered when his eyes took on a faraway look.

"Ah, shit!" he exclaimed. "I've gotta go."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Armed robbery."

She took the towel from him. "Go!" she said. "I'll have breakfast ready by the time you come back."

He canted his head. "You're going to cook?"

She glared at him, hands on her hips, the fluffy towel brushing against her legs.

"I'll have you know I can actually cook something. I mean, okay, my scrambled eggs aren't exactly cordon bleu but they're passable."

He kissed her quickly. "Just don't burn my apartment down while I'm gone, 'K?"

"Oh ye of little faith," she told him.

He was gone with a whoosh. Lois finished drying off, then went back into the bedroom, noting Clark's red leather jacket with the 'S' symbol on it was gone from the huge walk-in closet when she went in to grab her overnight bag. She dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, picking up a shirt that had fallen on the closet floor, holding it up to her face, taking in the scent of Clark's cologne. She quickly put it back on the hanger, then walked out.

The bedclothes were definitely a mess. Lois quickly stripped the bed and looked around for a hamper of some kind, but couldn't find one. Biting her lip, she left the sheets in a messy pile on the floor. She went out to the kitchen and began rummaging in the fridge for eggs and bacon.

The food was sizzling in the pan when Clark came in from the terrace. Lois went out to take his jacket from him, hanging it on the coat-stand by the door.

"How was it?" she asked.

"These two guys trying to hold up a drugstore. It took me maybe five seconds at most to handle them, then there was a mugging, and a car accident ..." He zipped into the bedroom and came out wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. "Lois, you're burning the eggs."

She gasped and dashed back into the kitchen. "Shoot! Sorry, I thought I had it under control."

He entered the kitchen and inspected the damage.

"It's okay. Looks like you caught it in time. How about some toast as well?"

"Okay," she said, watching as he pulled a loaf of bread out of the fridge and put some slices in the toaster. He'd obviously found some time to go shopping during the past few days as his fridge was well-stocked compared to the night he'd cooked her dinner.

Lois grabbed two plates and doled out the bacon and eggs, putting them on the table. The toast popped up and Clark grabbed it, putting it on a plate. He sat down at the table.

"I figured you'd use your heat vision or something when you're cooking," Lois commented as she grabbed a piece of toast and buttered it.

"I don't like to show off," he told her quietly.

Lois frowned at him. His tone was slightly off.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just usual Saturday morning madness."

"You'd think the bad guys would give the Blur the weekend off," she said.

"I don't know. I mean, we've been lucky the past three days. I couldn't expect it to be like that all the time. This is the city that never sleeps."

"I thought that was New York?" she asked.

"True. Although, when you think about it, no city ever sleeps these days. There's always something going on every hour of the day or night." He speared a piece of bacon, chewing thoughtfully. "This isn't bad. I mean, I don't think your lack of culinary skills is anything to do with not having talent. I think you just lack the motivation. Or you get distracted."

Lois grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I do get distracted easily. I mean, my mom, from what I can remember, wasn't that bad a cook. And my roommate in college told me that anyone can follow a recipe book. I just ... I don't know. It's not like I spent time after school baking cookies."

"It does take a little more than following a recipe book. I can teach you," he offered. "You seem to have the basics all right. And at least you know how to make a salad. I just think it would be fun if we could cook something together."

Lois took another piece of toast and spread honey on it.

"You really like to cook, don't you?"

Clark shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, sometimes, at the end of a hard day, it relaxes me. Plus it was just another way of rebelling."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Lionel used to say that cooking was only something women, or girls, as he put it, did. He said that about a lot of things. Like dancing. I once took a date to the ballet and Lionel was there; if only to be seen supporting the arts. He kept disparaging the male dancers."

"Yeah, well, I'm not surprised Lionel was sexist. I remember going to a press conference at Luthorcorp a couple of years ago and the way he looked at me." She shuddered. Lionel had looked her up and down with a sort of leer, which made her very uncomfortable.

"It makes you wonder why he was grooming Tess to take his place."

"Well, I guess maybe he didn't have much of a choice. Lex was in Europe, you had no interest in running the company and Lucas is a psycho."

Lois still felt something was off, but she didn't say anything until the dishes were cleared away and they were sitting on the couch starting to plan the day. His arms were around her and she was playing with his fingers, marvelling at how big his hands were. They practically dwarfed her own.

She turned in his arms and looked at him.

"Okay, buster, out with it," she told him.

"Out with what?"

"Something's been bugging you since you came home."

"Nothing's bugging me," he told her. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, well, like the playwright said, 'methinks thou doth protest too much'. Talk to me."

"It's nothing," he said, not looking into her eyes.

She reached up and made him look at her. "Clark! Don't avoid this."

He sighed. "I think someone may have seen me. You know ..." He waved his hand in an up, up and away gesture.

"Being the Blur, you mean?" she asked. "What happened?"

"These guys robbed an armoured car and they were trying to get away in a truck. I was chasing after them and stopped them right before a set of lights. I only slowed down for a micro-second, but I swear there was this lady at the crosswalk. I'm sure she saw me."

"Okay, I think we really need to talk about this. And not just because of what Mayson said last night."

He sighed. "I know. I know. The Blur has to come out of the shadows."

"It's not just about coming out of the shadows, honey, it's about letting people know you're out there."

"There's still the little matter of my public persona."

"Yeah, I admit, that's a problem, but I've been thinking really hard about this, and I might sort of have an idea. It's not all there yet, but ..."

She had been thinking about this for the last day or so. Clark was right. The Luthor name meant he was well-known publicly. There was also the not-so-little matter of his cable show. Okay, she reasoned, it only had a following of about eight hundred thousand viewers, but that was still a lot, even in a city of eight million.

Lois bit her lip.

"Do you know Liana down in accounting?"

Clark frowned at her. "No, not really?"

"Oh, well, she's like in her late thirties, um, brunette, very pretty?"

Clark shook his head. Lois nodded.

"Well, anyway, Liana wears these spectacles. She once told me she hates wearing them, because they're like really thick and it's really annoying when she wants to go out and play sports. I said to her, 'well, there are these new-fangled things called contacts'. And she told me she'd tried them, but she can't wear them because her eyes are kind of sensitive and they dry out really quickly in air-conditioning."

"And?"

"And I was thinking, well, what if you wore glasses. You know, at work."

Clark snorted. "I really don't think that's going to fool anybody. I mean, how different would I look with glasses?"

"You could actually look very different with them. I mean, I've seen Liana without her glasses and trust me, she's pretty with them on, but with them off, she's a knockout. Not that she thinks so, but that's neither here nor there. The point is ..."

"Look, honey, I get where you're going with this, but it's going to look awfully odd if I suddenly start wearing glasses. Besides, I'm a Luthor. I wouldn't be caught dead in them."

"Not if you tell people that your eye doctor told you to wear them. And you could also say that you were prescribed them years ago, but you didn't want to wear them out of a sense of vanity."

"That still doesn't solve the problem of how I can be Clark Luthor and the Blur without people recognising me."

"Well, that's the second part of my idea. See, last year, I did this story on a hypnotist. I mean, he does this like act where he hypnotises people ..."

"And makes them cluck like a chicken."

"Yes and no. So, what if you could use a form of hypnosis?"

He frowned again. "That would be like brainwashing people."

"Maybe. But surely that's better than the alternative of having people recognise you. I mean, the whole point of having the two identities is so you have a private life, right? Look, most people just see what they want to see, so you could just use some kind of, I don't know, post-hypnotic suggestion which makes people see you as two different people."

"And how do you suggest we hypnotise eight million people Lois?"

"We don't. I mean, all we'd need is something which puts the idea in their heads every time they see the Blur. Or at work you could use it to convince our co-workers that you've always had glasses."

"I still don't see how that could work."

"Okay, you know that Friends episode where Monica and Chandler just got engaged?"

"Which one?"

"You know; the one where Chandler goes to play racquet-ball with Monica's dad?"

He frowned. "I think so. Why?"

"In the teaser before the credits, Chandler walks in and says to the guys, 'what do you think?'. And they totally miss the fact that he's wearing glasses. Because they think he's always worn glasses."

Clark snickered. "Honey, that's a sitcom. It's not real life. And it's a total plot device."

"Look, I know there's a certain element of suspension of disbelief at work, but there has to be some way to work this. Maybe Lex, or even Jor-El, can come up with something. It's worth a try, don't you think?"

He sighed. "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right to mess with people's heads."

"And think of the alternative. One, you could come out as the Blur to the public and life as you know it will never be the same. I mean, I know as a Luthor your name is well-known anyway, and you're a paparazzi's dream, given that you're really photogenic, not to mention insanely hot, but if the public knew you as the Blur, it would be ten times worse. Or, two, you could continue to be the hero in the shadows and that would make guys like Slade even more distrustful."

"I could wear a mask," he suggested, totally missing what she'd said about him being 'insanely hot', or else he'd missed it on purpose.

"And look at how people react to Green Arrow and Batman. I mean, I admire them for what they do, but in a lot of ways, people still don't trust them. I really think it's time to take it to the next level, before Slade, or someone else in power decides to try and make superheroes the poster children for some anti-authority conspiracy."

Clark leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes.

"Okay, you're right. I'll talk to Lex tomorrow."

"Why not today?" she asked, jabbing him in the ribs.

"Because today," he told her with a leer, "I plan on making you squeal. As often and as loud as possible." He demonstrated by pulling her into his lap, tickling her until she was almost screaming with laughter.

They spent the morning fooling around. In bed and out of it. Lois loved the way Clark was becoming more relaxed around her. It was as if he no longer had anything to prove.

She was surprised though when he pulled her up out of bed around noon, deposited her in the shower and told her to dress casually. Lois did as she was told, putting on her jeans and a clean blouse. He entered the bedroom, twirling his keys around his finger.

"Ready?" he asked as she put her boots on.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

She grinned mischievously. "Will I like this surprise?"

"Nice try, Lane. Move that sexy ass," he said, giving her a teasing slap on the butt.

She followed him out the door and got in the elevator. It was a short ride down to the car. Lois looked at him thoughtfully, wondering what he was up to, but Clark still wasn't giving anything away.

He connected his I-Pod through a jack to the stereo and put on some music. It wasn't Whitesnake, but it wasn't the classical music he liked either. Lois recognised it as some popular tunes from the eighties.

And she still didn't know where they were going.

The car windows were open and the music was blasting. They sang along to the songs and talked about trivial things. It wasn't until they'd been driving for two hours that Lois recognised where they were.

"We're going to Smallville?" she asked.

"Now, Lois, if I told you that, it would spoil the surprise."

"You're a riot, Luthor," she told him.

"Be nice, Lane," he scolded her.

Half an hour later, Clark pulled up at a spot which Lois recognised as Crater Lake. It was a beautiful summer's day, with cloudless blue sky, and the lake was as clear as she'd ever seen it. She got out of the car and looked around.

"Aunt Lois!"

Lois looked around and held out her arms for Lena, who was running toward her, carrying her kitten in her arms.

"Hi baby."

"Guess what, guess what," Lena said, bouncing on her toes. "We're having a picnic." She took her hand. "C'mon Aunt Lois."

Lois let herself be led down to the lake edge where she saw Lex sitting on a blanket. To her surprise, Oliver was there as well. She didn't have to look behind her to know that Clark was following, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

It appeared other families had had the same idea as there were a few gathered around the lake's edge, sitting on blankets with picnic baskets. Children were paddling happily in the water.

As Lena pulled her down to sit on the blanket, she looked at him.

"Surprise!" he said.

Lena had flopped down into Oliver's lap and he ruffled her hair.

"Careful squirt. You don't want to squash Minnie." He looked up at Lois. "Hi, Lois."

"What's the occasion?" she asked.

"Don't look at me. This was your boyfriend's idea."

"I just thought, since it was a nice day, we could have ourselves a little picnic. Lena loves picnics. Don't you, Lena?"

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. She put the kitten down on the blanket.

"Don't let her wander off," Lex reminded his daughter.

But the kitten clearly wasn't planning on going anywhere. She yawned and kneaded the blanket, settling down and curling into a little ball.

Lois watched the kitten for a moment, letting Clark put his arm around her and hold her close. They sat in comfortable silence for a little while, until Lena had to shatter the silence.

"What's to eat, Daddy? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," he commented mildly. He pulled a picnic basket from behind him. "Mrs H made up a picnic lunch. Although, given how slow Clark drives, it's looking more like ... what do the British call it? Tea?"

"Hey, I do not drive that slowly," Clark protested hotly.

"Are you kidding, Luthor?" Lois snickered, looking up at him. "You drive slower than my grandma."

"Behave, Lane, or you don't get the rest of the surprise."

"There's more?" she asked.

"Later," he told her, kissing her nose.

Lois was feeling a little hungry herself. More than a little hungry, she admitted, considering all the 'physical exercise' she'd had that morning. She watched as Lena pulled out the food. There was cold fried chicken, bean salad, potato salad, fresh bread rolls, which looked as if they'd been baked that morning. And chocolate cake for dessert.

"Looks to me like you've been planning this a little while."

"Only since this morning," Clark told her.

Lois frowned at him. When had he had time to organise all this, considering what they'd been doing all morning. Clark just smirked.

"You're just lucky I'm so accommodating, Clark," Lex told him.

"Well, I figured since you weren't working today, Lena might enjoy the drive," Clark told him. "It's not often you just kick back and relax."

"How about never?" Lex said. "I've never taken Lena on a picnic before."

"You're a snob, Lex," Clark smirked. "How many times do I have to tell you? You need to get in touch with the common folk?"

Lex snorted at him. "I cannot believe you used the word 'folk'."

"Well, at least I know how to blend in, baldy," Clark retorted.

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him. "Looking for a fight, little brother?"

"You'd lose."

"Ha! Considering I beat your ass at pool last night!"

"Daddy, you said the a word," Lena said, watching her father and uncle playing verbal chess.

They continued to battle back and forth until Oliver groaned.

"God, it's like school all over again!" He produced a football, which had Lois wondering where he'd been hiding it. He stood up. "Come on you two. Time to work off some of that excess hot air."

"What are you trying to say Queen?" Lex retorted, getting up and chasing after his friend.

Lois watched as the three men began playing on the shoreline. It was Oliver and Lex against Clark, who easily had the advantage. Lena cuddled up with her.

"They're silly, Aunt Lois," she commented.

Lois kissed the top of her red head. "Yeah, they are."

It was getting on toward evening by the time they packed up and headed back to the car. Lex, Lena and Oliver, who was staying at the house for the weekend, were going back to Metropolis. Clark, it seemed, still had other plans.

Lois put her arms around his waist and kissed him.

"That was nice. Thank you," she said.

"The day's not over yet, Lois," he answered.

"So where to next, then?" she asked.

Clark didn't answer. He opened her door for her and ushered her into the car. Then he got in the driver's side and started the ignition, reversing out of the car park.

Lois kept quiet, knowing he would answer her in his own good time. But she had to admit she was curious when they reached what appeared to be showgrounds near Granville. She realised what was happening when she saw the huge billboard, advertising the Monster Truck Rally.

"Oh my god!" she breathed. "Monster Trucks?"

"Yup. I know how much you like them and I figured I would give them a chance."

"Clark Luthor, you are the best boyfriend ever!" she said as he parked the car and they got out.

A picnic at Crater Lake with the family and monster trucks. Clark was going to get sooooo lucky tonight, she decided.


	46. Visitor

Chapter Forty-Six

A monster truck rally was definitely not to his taste, but Clark found himself enjoying it just the same. It wasn't watching the trucks running over old cars that he liked. It was watching Lois, totally enthralled by the action; beer in one hand, nuts in the other. She would yell and scream along with other people in the audience, totally absorbed in what was going on below them.

He loved her enthusiasm. She approached the sport with the same passion, the same intensity she approached everything else. And he couldn't help but be swept along by it.

What kind of fool would he have been, he decided, if the first week they'd met, he'd taken her to bed the same as he had with any other woman in his life? He would have missed out on so much, he thought. If he'd just continued to see her the same as any other beautiful woman he'd slept with, he would have missed the passion and the fire in her.

Lex would probably accuse him of becoming sappy, but it sometimes felt as if he had been waiting for her all his life. And each moment she shared with him was like a gift.

Clark had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed the rally was over. Lois was grinning at him.

"Okay, so Monster Trucks isn't your thing, but going off into dreamworld?"

"Yeah, very funny, Lane," he said.

They began walking together, following the rest of the crowd out the gate to the parking lot.

"So, I thought we'd just grab some take-out on the way back, stop by your place so your cat doesn't think you've up and left him and then head back to my apartment. Does that sound like a plan?"

Lois nodded. "Sounds good to me. We can eat in the car on the way home though, right? I was starting to get hungry."

He looked at her. "You had two beers and a whole bag of peanuts. How can you be that hungry?"

"Oh, I'm a bottomless pit," she laughed.

That was one thing he really liked about Lois. She enjoyed her food and didn't act like other women who complained that anything remotely sweet or fattening would go straight to their hips.

He drove at a reasonable speed, not willing to break the speed limit even to avoid being teased by Lois. He knew she wondered if it bothered him, going this slowly compared to his own super-speed. But he didn't mind. Sometimes it really did help to slow things down; to stop and smell the roses. And he really didn't want to be the Blur all the time. He wanted a life too.

Clark had been thinking about the things she'd said that morning. The thought of playing with people's heads still didn't feel right in his own mind, but she had been right. The alternative was having no private life. At all. He was used to being in the public eye as a Luthor, but it would be ten times worse if people found out he was the Blur. And the incident with the woman that morning had shown him that he could no longer afford to hide in the shadows either. Even Lex had told him he took far too many chances.

The reality of it was, if he was ever going to be able to build a life with Lois, he needed a different identity. One so far removed from his public persona of Clark Luthor that no one would even think there could be any kind of connection. The bad boy image he'd cultivated as a teen just didn't fit him anymore, but neither did the quiet, nerdy type that he thought Lois was suggesting. Well, maybe not. She'd just suggested wearing glasses. And she was right. There could be a number of different reasons why someone with his resources would have to wear them.

It could work.

It was fairly late by the time they got back to his apartment. Clark didn't feel all that sleepy, considering the fact that they'd spent most of that morning in bed. He was just about to ask her if she wanted to watch a movie or do something else when Lois answered that question for him.

She pulled him over to the couch and made him sit down, then she straddled him, kissing him with fervour.

"Have I thanked you properly for today?" she said.

What did he say to that? If he said no, then he might sound greedy. If he said yes, then he might not get more of what she obviously had in mind. He decided there really was no right or wrong answer for this one and the best he could do was just shut up and enjoy it.

Lois seemed to like that as she wound her arms around his neck and thrust her tongue practically down his throat. She clearly wanted to make-out and who was he to object? Especially with this beautiful woman in his arms.

They sat just kissing for some time until Lois pulled back, panting, her eyes huge.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Make love to me, Clark," she whispered.

Holding her in his arms, Clark got to his feet. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed, stripping her slowly. Clark then took his own clothes off. She held out her arms, and he moved into them.

The sound of a siren woke him in the early hours of the morning. Clark got up, careful not to disturb the soundly sleeping Lois and dressed quickly in his Blur jacket and pants. He left by the sliding door to the terrace, ensuring it was secure behind him and flew out into the night.

It had been raining and the roads were greasy. There was a three-car pile-up out on the highway. A truck had clearly been going too fast, skidded on a greasy spot and jack-knifed. The three cars had been following and the first car hadn't stopped in time, smashing side-on into the trailer. The driver had been killed. Clark did what he could to help, pulling the door off of the second car to help the woman who had been trapped, all moving at speed.

No sooner had he taken care of that when there was a mugging in the inner-city. Clark took care of the mugger and made sure the victim wasn't hurt and took off, intending to return to Lois. Then he heard the sounds of breaking glass. He went to investigate and found a sight he didn't expect to see. A girl stood at the kerb, her hand out. She was panting heavily. Glass from the window was suspended in the air in several pieces.

"Maddie?"

Startled, the girl turned and looked at him.

"Clark?"

"What are you doing?"

"I ... I'm sorry, I ...I didn't know what else to do."

Clark turned back to the store. It was a convenience store which appeared to have been closed for several days as there were piles of newspapers on the doorstep. He could see a note on the door, but paid no attention to it.

"Maddie," he said, turning back to the girl, but she had taken the opportunity to run off into the night.

Clark activated his hearing, listening to her desperate gasps for breath as she ran. He focused on the direction and ran toward her, grabbing her before she could go any further. Maddie gasped.

"How did you ...?" she began.

"I told you once I'm a lot like you."

Her hazel eyes were huge as she stared at him.

"You're the Blur?"

He nodded. "Come on, let's get you out of this rain."

He took her back to his penthouse. Maddie's clothes were wet and no better than rags. Her jeans were patched and thinning in places and her shirt was torn and filthy. Clark grabbed a bath towel and guided her to the guest shower.

"Go on," he said.

"Clark," she said, turning to look at him sadly. "I'm sorry. I was just ... I was hungry."

"I'll make you something to eat," he said. "It'll be ready by the time you're done in the shower."

As he cooked an omelette, he thought about Maddie. She was like a little sister to him. The last time he'd seen her was when she'd been fifteen and a sophomore in high school. He'd been in Metropolis on a flying visit. That had been two and a half years ago.

He heard footsteps and looked up. Lois was leaning on the door-jamb, dressed in a cream satin robe.

"I thought I heard voices," she said. "What's going on?"

Maddie came in, wearing Clark's bathrobe, but stopped as soon as she saw Lois.

"Oh, oh god," she moaned. "Clark, I didn't ..."

"Maddie, sit down and eat," he said, pulling out a chair. "We'll talk when you're done. Lois ..." he said, nodding his head toward the bedroom.

Lois followed him.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Maddie van Horn. Her foster mother, Naomi, worked for Lionel. When Maddie was three, her mom was killed. By her birth father."

"Oh god, that's awful!" Lois exclaimed.

"It gets worse. See, Maddie's dad was exposed to the meteors. He was in a glass factory when it was hit. After that, he discovered he could manipulate glass. Any kind of glass. And Maddie inherited the ability from him. He and Maddie's mom were college sweethearts. But like a lot of other meteor freaks, he was unstable. Her mom left him when she was pregnant with Maddie."

"So are you saying he killed her mom because ..."

"Because he wanted Maddie. He was locked up in Belle Reve but they let him go six years ago. And he killed Naomi for the same reason."

"How did you get involved?"

"Oliver found out that Lionel hired Naomi so he could study Maddie. When Naomi was killed, Oliver brought her to me because he knew that I was the only one who could help her. At the time, we all thought that it was Maddie who had killed Naomi. Anyway, long story short, her father's in prison for murder and I found Maddie's grandmother."

"So why is she here now?" Lois asked.

"She was trying to break in to a convenience store. Come on. I think I need to have a long talk with Maddie."

Lois nodded. She followed him back out to the kitchen where Maddie was just finishing up the omelette.

"At least your cooking's improved," Maddie smiled.

Clark looked her over. Maddie was too skinny. She was now Lois' height but way too thin for her frame. He turned a chair around and sat down, leaning on the back of it, looking at the young girl. Lois went into the kitchen to put on some coffee.

"Maddie, where's your grandmother?"

"She died. Heart attack."

"When?"

"Couple years ago."

He looked at the girl with sympathy.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"You were still doing your travelling thing and I didn't want to bother you."

"Maddie, I thought you knew me better than that."

Maddie shrugged, her wet, blonde hair swinging.

"So where have you been the last two years?"

"Around."

"Maddie, don't use evasion tactics on me. They won't work."

She heaved a sigh. "I ended up at a shelter for a while, but then some men came and made me go with them. They took me to this place."

"What did it look like?" he asked, getting a sinking feeling.

"Sort of like a hospital. They did all sorts of tests."

"Did you ever see who was in charge?" Lois asked, putting a cup of coffee down in front of him.

Maddie looked up at her, frowning. Clark realised he hadn't even introduced them.

"Maddie, this is Lois Lane. My girlfriend."

"Oh," she said. She nodded. "Um, there was this guy there. He was kinda old."

"How old?"

"I dunno. Grandma's age maybe. Or a bit younger. Older than my dad."

"What did he look like? Did he have brown hair?"

Maddie shook her head. "He was blonde. Not like me. Sort of yellow."

Clark groaned inwardly. Morgan Edge.

"Were there others like you there, Maddie?" he asked.

"Yeah. I mean, I didn't meet them all, but there were some."

"How did you get out?"

"About a week ago some other men came and made us all leave."

"Where was this place, Maddie?" Clark asked.

As soon as she described it, he knew exactly where it was. It was the same facility Lucas had had him taken to the day the Joker had kidnapped Lois and Lena.

"Maddie, you're going to stay here until I can sort something out, okay? You can sleep in my niece's room. I'll go make up the bed."

Lois touched his arm.

"I'll do it," she said. He nodded and smiled his thanks at her.

Maddie looked at him wearily. Clark wondered if she'd been mistreated in the facility as well as having all those tests. She was pale and looked unwell.

Maddie yawned as she stood up. She at least looked a little better for having some food in her.

Clark glanced toward the terrace. It was getting close to dawn. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. It looked like being another nice day.

Lois came back out and Maddie moved to the hallway. She turned and looked at him.

"I'm really sorry, Clark. I know I should have called you, but I sort of read about your brother and everything and I just figured you'd be too busy to help me."

"I will never be too busy to help you Maddie," he told her.

He watched as Maddie went into the bedroom. Lois put a hand on his.

"That poor girl," she said.

"Yeah. Sounds to me like Lucas and Morgan have been testing meteor freaks for a lot longer than we thought."

"But why, though? And why did they make them leave?"

"I think Edge was covering his ass."

"Or maybe they just found something better. I mean, think about it Clark. Think about the timing. They get rid of kids like Maddie and they take you instead."

"Lucas did say he wanted my blood. I still don't get why Lena."

"Maybe she was meant to be a bargaining chip at first. Didn't you say that Lucas wanted Lex?"

"There has to be more to it. Something we're not seeing."

"What about that stuff that Lionel was testing at Metron Pharmaceuticals?"

"The CL89?" Clark shook his head. He didn't see the connection. It was a drug that had failed.

Lois looked thoughtful. "It feels like I should know this. Do you have the printouts from the files that Chloe hacked into?"

"They're at the DP. Why?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I just feel like there's something about that compound we're missing. Do you remember what it was derived from?"

Clark searched his memory. He'd always been good at speed-reading. He'd read through the documents while Lois had been typing up the story. Now it was just a question of sifting through the pieces and trying to fit them into the puzzle.

He tried to picture the files in his mind, reading them through. Then he stopped, looking at Lois.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Platelets. CL89 was derived from blood platelets."

Lois frowned. "Blood? Oh my god! Clark!"

"What?"

"CL89! The meteor shower was in '89! It's your blood!"

Clark swallowed. Lionel had used his blood to create the drug. He wondered what else the old man had used it for.

Lois suggested they wait until Monday morning to do some more digging. They went back to bed for a while, talking about Maddie until Lois couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Clark lay on his back as Lois dozed beside him, wondering what other evils Lionel was responsible for. He was glad though, that he'd had the guts to walk away from his adoptive father when he did. God only knew what Lionel would have turned him into. Or Lex, for that matter.

It was mid-morning by the time they got up again. Clark made waffles while Lois got the coffee started. She then went to Lena's room and knocked on the door. Clark could hear the two girls talking briefly, then Maddie followed Lois out, still wearing the robe he'd found for her the night before. Her tiny frame looked swamped in it.

"We'll have to see if any of my clothes will fit you," Lois was saying. "We'll do that after breakfast."

"Okay," Maddie said shyly. "Lois, I'm really sorry if I ..."

"Don't apologise, okay? Clark explained everything last night."

They sat down at the table and Maddie looked hungrily at the waffles. She glanced up at Clark and he nodded.

"Go ahead," he told her. "There's plenty."

He watched as Maddie helped herself to some waffles and added maple syrup.

"Sleep okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she said with her mouth full. Then she quickly chewed and swallowed. "Thank you."

"Maddie, we need to talk about what's been happening. Can you tell us anymore about where you were?"

She shook her head. "Not really. All I know is, they wanted to know what I could do."

"What about the others?" Lois asked.

"We were always made to go to our rooms after they'd finished testing. But I did meet this one girl. She could sort of blow things up."

Clark found that a little worrying.

"Do you know where she is now?"

Maddie shook her head. "We got separated. One of the kids got caught stealing by the police so the rest of us just ran."

"I still don't get something," Lois said with a frown. "Why would they let these kids go and take Lena? Unless ..."

"Unless what, Lois?" he asked.

"Unless Lucas wanted leverage against you and Lex."

"You're thinking Helen was mistaken about why they took her."

"I thought Helen had gone into hiding?" she asked.

"Who's Helen?" Maddie asked.

"She was married to Lex," Clark told her. "She's ... she was Lena's mom."

Maddie looked thoughtful. "There was a lady there, at the facility. Her name was Helen."

"What did she look like?"

"Um, black hair, pretty. She was a doctor."

Clark looked at Lois.

"Was Helen part of the testing?"

Maddie looked at both of them, her face paling.

"Uh, yeah, she did some tests on the others. But she didn't want to be there. That old guy kept telling her if she didn't do what he asked then he would hurt her daughter." She gasped. "Oh god, he must have been talking about your niece!"

Oh, this was just getting better and better, Clark thought. It sounded like Edge had given Helen no choice but to perform tests on the others, under the threat that Lena would be taken. He recalled what she'd said at Metron. She'd had no idea she'd been exposed to the meteor rock. And like so many others, Lena was a second generation meteor freak. Which would have made her even more valuable to Lucas and Edge.

But if that was the case, why had they dropped the project? And why had they kept Helen prisoner?

Lois might be right, he thought. They wanted leverage. They'd set a trap for him at Metron Pharmaceuticals. Clark had known that and he'd gone in anyway.

Clark put his head in his hands. It was just going around and around in his mind and it was driving him crazy.

Maddie looked at him, a worried frown on her face.

"I'm sorry, Clark," she said. "I know you said to call you anytime, but I didn't know where you were and when Grandma died I called your dad, but he didn't want to bother with me. He said he didn't know where you were and he didn't care."

Well, that explained how Edge's people were able to find her, Clark thought. Since it was obvious they had someone planted at Luthorcorp.

"So what happens now?" Maddie asked.

"I'm going to talk to Lex. We'll see what we can do about getting guardianship."

"I'm almost eighteen," she said in protest.

"And technically you're still a minor until your birthday, Maddie. Besides, would you rather end up in a children's home?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head.

"Clark's right, Maddie," Lois said gently.

"You can stay here with me," Clark told her, making a quick decision. "How far did you get in school?"

"I'd just finished sophomore year when Grandma died. They didn't let us do any schooling in the facility."

"Okay, so you'll need to finish school. It means you'll be a couple of years behind kids your age, but it's better than getting your GED. Is that okay with you?"

"You're asking me?" Maddie said incredulously.

"It's your life, Maddie. Just because I'm applying for guardianship of you, doesn't mean I have the right to tell you how to run your life."

"Oh. Are you sure about this? I mean, with you and Lois ..."

"Clark and I are fine, Maddie," Lois told her. "What's more important is making sure you don't have to go breaking into any more convenience stores."

Maddie turned red with shame.

"I ..."

"Maddie, it's okay. Just next time, remember you can call me if you're in trouble." Clark smiled. "Of course, I'm hoping there won't be a next time."

"There won't," she assured him. "You're the first person who ever really understood what it was like for me. I never forgot that."

Once breakfast was over and the dishes were cleared away, Lois took Maddie up to the bedroom and gave her some clothes to try on. Clark called Lex and told him what had happened.

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah. She feels pretty bad about what happened, but at least she didn't take anything. I've already called the store owner and explained the situation and organised for the repairs. So, what do I do?"

Lex didn't sound very optimistic.

"I don't know, Clark. Taking care of a teenage girl is a huge responsibility."

"Yeah, I know, but it's better than letting her live on the streets Lex. And besides, she's seventeen, not twelve. I was fairly independent at her age."

"That's because you were a freak," Lex commented.

"Takes one to know one, dork," he retorted.

"All right. I'll call my attorney in the morning and get the ball rolling with social services. Looks like you'll have to sort all the junk in your spare room so she'll have a place to sleep."

"Excuse me? I'm not the hoarder in the family," he returned. "I just hadn't got round to getting another bed."

"Whatever!" Lex snorted.

Maddie and Lois had come out of the bedroom, chatting happily. She was wearing a shirt and jeans which looked far too big on her. Clark arranged to meet Lex in his office in the morning. Lois grinned at him.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "Guess we're going to have to go shopping to get Maddie a bed."

"And Maddie's going to need some clothes," Lois told him.

He grabbed his keys and headed to the door. "Let's go then," he said.

Lois kissed him on the cheek as he held the door open for them.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"For being you," she said.

Maddie was trying on clothes in the fitting room while they waited.

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" Lois said.

"Yeah, I do. I mean, in some ways, I do feel responsible for her abilities."

"Why? I mean, you didn't create the meteors."

"No, I know," he sighed. "But it was Lionel who started this whole mess with his experiments and Lucas was just carrying them on."

Lois hugged him. "It'll be okay. Maddie's a good kid. And she looks up to you. She told me so when I was sorting out some clothes for her."

"You don't mind all this?"

She shook her head. "Besides, it'll be good practice for when we have our own kids," she grinned.

Clark chuckled. "Yeah, we'd be in for a world of trouble if they're anything like you."

Lois punched him in the arm. "Watch it, Luthor!" she said sternly, but she was clearly trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I'm watching," he said with a leer as she turned to see what was keeping Maddie. She seemed to have eyes in the back of her head as she turned and growled at him.

"Behave!" she answered. "What did I say about PDAs?"

"That wasn't a PDA," he argued. "That was me checking out your sexy ass."

"You are incorrigible, Luthor," she told him.

"And proud of it!"


	47. Commission

Chapter Forty-Seven

Lois could see how deeply Maddie's situation had affected him. She knew that if things had been different, it could have been him. She hadn't been surprised when he'd told Maddie she would stay with him. She was beginning to learn that that was really the kind of person Clark was. He hated the thought of anyone being experimented on.

She knew it wouldn't be long before Clark decided to try and find some of the others. There was no way that he could just step back; not if there was something he could do about it. And she was going to help him in any way she could.

Lois suspected there was a lot more to the project than Maddie had been able to describe. And the only place they were going to get answers was at the facility.

They spent the rest of the day settling Maddie in to the spare room. Clark had packed up all of the junk, which he claimed was definitely not junk, and made it into a bedroom. Maddie was still stunned by the speed with which Clark had made the decision, but Lois sensed he did feel a responsibility toward her.

Maddie's grandmother had left her some money, and the house where they had lived in Smallville had been sold, but as Clark had learned from the teen, the funds were held in trust until she turned eighteen. The biggest question was, since Maddie had 'disappeared', was that trust still operating? Lois supposed that was a question they would need to ask Lex's attorney in the morning.

Once the furniture had been delivered and everything else was settled, it was almost dinner time. Lois helped Clark cook roast beef, although she had to admit that he did most of the work. But it felt good to be working with him in the kitchen. Maddie stayed in the living room watching television.

Lois was reluctant to return home later that night, wishing she could just stay with Clark. He seemed to sense her emotions.

"Move in with me," he said quietly as they stood at her door.

"I don't know," she said, looking away from him.

"Why?"

"There's my cat," she told him.

"I don't mind," he answered.

"Clark, I ... you know how I feel. It's just ... it's all happened so fast."

He scrunched his nose. "Too soon?"

"I just want to take the time and enjoy being with you. Being in love. Is that bad?"

"No," he said, putting his arms around her. "I'm sorry. You're right." He kissed her gently. "Do you want me to pick you up in the morning?"

She shook her head. "I'll see you there," she answered.

He looked at her with an expression that was so pitiful she laughed.

"Gotta keep some mystery," she told him with a chuckle.

She was at work early the next morning checking the files Chloe had downloaded. Clark came in about ten minutes after she had sat down.

"Hi," she smiled, looking up at him. "I was just going over the Metron Pharmaceuticals stuff."

"What did you find?" he asked, kissing her.

"Well, there's this doctor. A Lia Teng. She claimed that the serum, the CL89, worked to some extent but it began causing a breakdown in the cellular structures of each test subject. And get this. She said that it caused violent rages, even psychosis in some of them."

Clark frowned. "Sounds a lot like the reactions from meteor rocks. A lot of people when they were exposed became mentally unstable."

"But how do you explain Maddie?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe because she's born with the ability."

Lois bit her lip. "That makes sense. It's like ... what if someone got your powers? They would become unstable."

"Because the human body isn't meant to have those abilities." Clark frowned again. "That still doesn't explain Lex."

"Hmm, well, maybe there have to be some environmental factors as well."

"It's a great theory, Lois, but there has to be more to it than that. Not every person who developed a meteor power became unstable."

"Yeah, that's true. Oh well," she sighed. "Back to the drawing board."

"I think you might be on to something with the serum though. If it is really manufactured from my blood, then it would explain the instability. Do the files give you an address on Dr Teng?"

"Uh, no, but that's because she's dead. From what I read here, that's why Lionel closed down the project. Police found her body and the bodies of several others in the lab and Lionel covered it up. A so-called disgruntled ex-employee was blamed for the murders."

"But you don't think so?"

Lois shook her head. She had read about one particular subject, Adam, who had supposedly died of liver disease. He had been the worst when it came to the rages, and his body hadn't been among those found in the lab.

Clark glanced at his watch and sat down at the other desk.

"I think Bruce may have checked out the facility I was taken to," he said. "I'm just gonna give him a call. Then we need to go meet with Lex."

"Okay," she said. "I'm just gonna keep reading, see if anything else turns up."

She continued looking through the files as Clark talked to Bruce, paying little attention to the conversation. The further she read, the less she liked it.

Clark put the phone down and stood up. She looked at him.

"What did Bruce say?" she asked.

"I'll tell you when we're in Lex's office," he said. "Come on."

Lois followed him out and up to the office. Lex was waiting for them.

"Good," he said. "I just got off the phone with my attorney. He's going to have the papers drawn up this afternoon for you to have guardianship."

"We were going to ask him about the money held in trust for Maddie," Lois said.

"Yeah. He was going to look into that as well, but he did say that Maddie's trust should still be intact as it wasn't going to be turned over to her until she was eighteen anyway. As it's held by a financial institution, they would still have to legally prove that Maddie was dead before the trust could be abandoned."

"Well, that's good."

Lex looked at his brother. "Clark, are you really sure this is the right thing to do? I mean, Maddie is ..."

"Maddie's a good kid, Lex. She just needs a firm hand. From someone who understands what she's been through."

"All right. I get it. I was just surprised, that's all." Lex sat back. "So, what else is up?"

"From what Maddie told us, she was being held at the same place Lucas had me taken to. I called Bruce and he said he had people going through what they found. He's emailing a list of names."

"Of what?"

"Well, I'm assuming they're the names of kids who were being experimented on."

"What was Lucas' purpose?" Lex asked.

"I think we were correct. Lucas was trying to build an army made up of people with meteor powers. It looks like he was studying each one to find out if the powers could be replicated. Bruce said he had Lucius Fox look over the test results his people found and they had little success."

"You said Helen was made to work there?"

Clark nodded. "I'm wondering, actually, if that was how she became exposed herself."

Lex nodded. "It sounds plausible. What else did you find out?"

"I was reading through some of the stuff we got on Metron Pharmaceuticals," Lois began. "I was right. CL89 was blood platelets derived from Clark's blood. The serum was also called The Lazarus Serum. Lionel was hoping to use it to cure, among other things, liver disease. There was this kid, Adam. Although his real name was Chad Nash. Apparently he died of liver failure several months before he reappeared again as Adam Knight."

"Why would Lionel be so interested in something like that?" Lex asked.

"Because he had liver disease," Lois told him. "The experiments failed though. Adam needed constant injections of the serum or he would begin to deteriorate."

"So how did Lionel cure his liver disease?" Lex asked. "I read the autopsy report and I've checked into his medical files. There was no sign of the disease at all when he died."

"Well, we're assuming," she said. "I mean, since they had to dig up his body, it stands to reason there would have been enough deterioration in his cells to make it difficult to detect. I think the only way to find out for sure is to talk to his doctor."

Lex nodded. "I think we can table that for now. What do you plan on doing about the list, assuming Bruce has sent it?"

"Try and track down the rest of the kids. From what Maddie told us, they weren't all bad. Some of them were second generation meteor freaks and they just need a little guidance."

"I don't envy you two. Given the current climate against superhero vigilantes, I would say you're going to have a difficult task finding them. They'll more than likely have gone into hiding."

Clark frowned, while Lois was getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"You two obviously haven't seen the news broadcasts this morning. General Slade Wilson held a press conference. He's come out against the Blur."

"Shit!" Clark said.

"He's also calling for a full government commission to investigate not only the Blur, but also Batman, Green Arrow, and anyone else who shows 'vigilante tendencies'," Lex added, using air quotes.

"What? He can't do that," Lois protested. "My father has more power than him."

"I think you should go talk to your father again," Lex suggested. "If anyone can stonewall this commission, he can. But I don't know, Clark. Slade's got an axe to grind and somehow I don't think all this is a coincidence."

"No, I don't think so either," Clark sighed. "I think Slade had his own agenda when it came to people with meteor abilities and I have a feeling he was somehow working with Lucas and Edge. He wants people like me under the government's thumb, doing their bidding."

"In other words, the poster children for the war against terrorism," Lex answered. "What are you going to do?"

"I meant to talk to you about this yesterday, but with what was going on with Maddie, it got forgotten."

"What is it?"

"Lois seems to think it's time the Blur came out of the shadows. And given what has just happened this morning, I'm beginning to agree with her."

"Well, you're not wrong, Lois," Lex said, with a smile at her. "But it is problematic. Clark's face is well-known, thanks to his cable show."

"Not that well-known," Lois reasoned. "I mean, it is only ten percent of the population who actually watch the show."

"Lois thinks she might have a solution. Go ahead, honey," Clark told her with an encouraging smile.

"Well, I know this girl down in accounting. She wears glasses and she looks totally different without them. I was thinking Clark could start wearing them here at work. Give it a few weeks or so, just so everyone could begin to forget Clark never had them."

"Except a Luthor would never be caught dead wearing them," Lex replied.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Anyone ever tell you two you're kind of vain?" she said.

"I'm speaking logically, Lois," the older man said.

"Even rich people have to wear glasses, Lex. For various reasons. I mean, maybe for some, things like laser surgery or contact lenses isn't an option. And Clark could say he has an astigmatism or something."

"And why would he suddenly take to wearing glasses?" Lex asked.

Lois had thought long and hard about that. And she believed she had the answer for that as well.

"Look, working as a reporter involves a lot of computer work, right? So, maybe Clark's eyes have always been bad, but they've got worse since he's been working full-time here. And maybe vanity stopped him wearing them before."

"That sounds reasonable," Lex said. "But there's still the possibility of Clark being recognised in the street when he goes out to patrol."

Lois noticed Clark was sitting back and letting her do the talking. It didn't seem to be as if he didn't want to take part in the discussion. It felt more that he was encouraging her to share her ideas.

"I thought about that too," she told Lex. "What if you, or Jor-El, could come up with a way to use some form of hypnosis, to convince people that what they're seeing is not really what they think they're seeing."

Lex frowned, sitting back as if he was trying to absorb it.

"Let me get this straight," he said slowly. "You think we should come up with some sort of device that sends a signal, so anyone who knows Clark would not see him as Clark when they encounter the Blur?"

"Well, I don't know about a device, but yeah, I think you get the gist of it."

Lex looked at Clark.

"You're awfully quiet about this," he said.

"I still don't feel right about this, but Lois has a point. There is no way I can ever have a life and protect you and Lena, and Lois, if people know I'm the Blur. And Lois has thought this through. If we have to come up with a device, or a way to send a subliminal message to protect my identity, then it's the best solution."

"What don't you feel right about?"

"It's still messing with people's heads."

"And which would you prefer, Clark? If people somehow discovered that Clark Luthor and the Blur were one and the same, not only would you never have a private life, but we could all become targets for every psycho out there. You know what happened with Lucas!"

"I know, Lex. I already said it's the best solution."

"Good. As long as we're all clear on that," Lex said. "I'll contact Jor-El and we'll put our, er, heads together," he added with a grin. "Ahh, you know what I mean."

Lois followed Clark out of the office.

"You call your Dad," he said quietly as they made their way downstairs. "I'm going to call Bruce and give him a heads up."

"This is bad, isn't it?" she said.

"If the general gets enough people on his side, it could be very bad. We need someone with a lot more power on our side."

"I'm not sure about asking my dad though," she answered. "You remember what he said about my being a 'vigilante sympathiser'."

"I know. Which is why we have to convince him that Slade has a personal agenda to this."

Lois nodded. "You're right." She entered her office and picked up the phone, dialling the number. "This is Lois Lane. I need to speak with my father."

"Miss Lane, your father's in Metropolis."

Lois frowned. She'd only just seen him a couple of weeks ago. What was he doing back in the city? If he had ever left at all.

"Can you put me through to his cellphone?"

"Putting you through now." Lois waited, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Lois?"

"Daddy. What are you doing in the city?"

"I think you know."

"We need to talk. It's important."

"Yes, I expect we do. Meet me for lunch in one hour," he said sharply. "Mazzini's."

Clark, meanwhile, had been talking to Bruce. He hung up and looked at her.

"Chloe called him as soon as the press release came through at the paper. He's watching the televised conference now. He's just as concerned as we are about this," he told her.

"The general said he'd meet us in an hour," Lois told him. "Mazzini's."

"Good."

"What about Oliver?" she asked.

"There's a good chance he's seen the conference already, since he's in town."

"True," she nodded. "Now what?"

Clark sighed. "I don't know. I think maybe we should just wait and see what your father has to say."

An hour later, they walked into the restaurant. General Lane was already sitting at the table.

"Luthor," the general said shortly after he'd kissed Lois on the cheek. Lois sighed. It looked like her father was never going to take well to Clark. They ordered their lunches. Then Lois looked at her father.

"Daddy," she said.

"Just because he's your boyfriend, Lo, doesn't mean I have to like him."

"You're not even giving him a chance."

"Did you come here to get my blessing, Lois? Or did you want to talk about that press conference?"

"Daddy ..."

"I'm well aware Slade has a personal agenda," he answered. "And I figured as soon as you two heard about it you'd be on my case. Look, I don't have a lot of time for an ass like Slade, but I think in some respects he's right. These so-called superheroes have to be called to account for their actions."

"What do you mean, sir?" Clark asked. "What exactly have they done?"

"Answer me this, Luthor. Does the Blur have any legal powers? When he detains a criminal, does he read them their rights?"

"There is such a thing called Citizens Arrest, Daddy," Lois pointed out, not liking at all where this was going.

"Of course there is. I am not denying that. But have you ever given any thought to the fact that the Blur is creating more work for the cops? Not less?"

"I don't get it. He's helping stop crime."

"Sure. He apprehends a mugger and dumps him on the doorstep of the nearest police precinct. But, here's my point: is the mugger going to tell the cops what happened or is he going to claim false arrest? You know he's never going to admit to what he's done. So he walks away. The Blur's not there to give the cops the full story, is he? He's already off saving someone else."

"The Blur doesn't always dump someone on the cops' doorstep," Lois reasoned.

"Maybe not. But even so, let's look at this another way. That mugger is stopped that night, but he goes out the next night and tries to mug someone. Where is the Blur then? The Blur isn't stopping crime. He's just delaying it."

"That is not true, sir," Clark protested.

"And how would you know, Luthor? Do you know the Blur personally?"

Lois chewed on her lip. She couldn't very well tell her father that Clark was the Blur.

"Look, I know you trust him," her father said, seeing her distress. "I'm just pointing out one point of view. And there are others who see this the same way."

"Daddy, can't you stop this? If Slade's commission goes through, then no superhero will want to come out and help."

"Have you considered that perhaps this might be a good thing?"

"By making heroes like the Blur the government's puppets?" Clark asked. "Because that's what it boils down to. Maybe I don't personally know the Blur, but I know that he would not get involved in political matters."

"That's not how others see it."

"Well, they're wrong," Clark protested hotly.

Lois watched the two men she loved the most glower at each other. This was not going well at all. She knew Clark was trying to defend himself, but there was the very real danger that he could say the wrong thing and give himself away.

Fortunately the waitress came with their meals, which put an end to the argument. They all fell silent as they ate. Clark took the bill when they were done and put cash down for the meal. Lois glanced at her father and he scowled at Clark, clearly not happy with the way Clark had offered to pay.

"So you're so rich you think you can pay for the meal? Try to impress my little girl?"

"Daddy, that's not why I'm with him."

"I know his type, Lo. All rich boys are the same."

"You don't know Clark at all. Don't criticise him for something that isn't his fault."

"Sir, all I was doing was ..." Clark began to protest.

"I'll pay for my own damn meal," the general growled.

Clark sighed and shook his head. He threw some bills down and stalked out. Lois glared at her father.

"You had no right to do that," she said.

"You're my daughter! I'm just trying to protect you."

"He cares about me. Damn it, this was not about him trying to impress me or you. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he was just trying to be courteous? Or do you a favour? Especially since I was the one who asked for this meeting."

"And I was the one who suggested lunch," her father returned.

They walked out of the restaurant and stood on the street. Clark was a few feet away, trying to look as if the general hadn't upset him. But Lois could tell from the stiff posture that he was upset.

"Goddamnit, Daddy, you can be so stubborn sometimes. You need to apologise to him."

"I don't need to do a damn thing," he countered. "He's an arrogant ass and my little girl can do better."

"Well, your little girl can make her own choices about who she loves." Her father's eyes widened. "Yes, Daddy, I love him. I'm in love with him. And I'm going to marry him."

"You what?" Her father's face turned almost purple with apoplectic rage. "Over my dead body!"

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it, Daddy, then there's nothing else I can say. You either accept him, Daddy, or that's it."

"You'd cut me out of your life? For him?"

Lois stared at her father. Would she really? She glanced at Clark. She already loved him, was so deep in love with him that she couldn't imagine being without him.

"Yes, Daddy, I guess I would." Tears threatened to choke her. "I know you appreciate straight talk, so I will give it to you in one razor sharp line. I love Clark. I'm staying with him. And if you love me, you **will** respect that."

The general stared at her, his expression stunned, for a long moment. Then he threw his head back and laughed.

"My god, your mother was right about you," he said.

Lois blinked. What had just happened? She stared at her father in disbelief as he continued to laugh.

"Uh, what do you mean? What is this about mom?"

"She once told me that you would be twice as stubborn as I was and when you found your 'tall, dark and handsome', as she put it, you'd defend him come hell or high water." He sobered. "All right, Lo, you win. Come on."

As Lois watched, her father crossed the street and approached a wary Clark. To her lover's surprise, her father stuck out his hand and Clark took it. The two men shook hands. Lois joined them.

The general looked at her.

"I still don't like him. But for your sake, Lo, I'm prepared to tolerate him."

Lois heaved a sigh of relief. That was all she could ask for.

"Now, as for your little skirmish with Slade, I'll do my best to head him off at the pass. But don't be surprised if more come out in support of this commission. The tide is turning against the Blur."

Not if we can help it, Lois said silently.


	48. Darkness

Chapter Forty-Eight

Clark was still feeling angry about the general's attitude toward him, but he had been impressed by the apology. He could tell that the man loved his daughter enough to at least accept that this was what she wanted. And for Lois' sake, he was prepared to tolerate the man as well.

"What now?" Lois asked when the general had gone.

"I think we need to meet with Oliver and Bruce and try and come up with some kind of strategy to deal with Slade."

"You really think it's going to matter?" she asked.

"If the tide really is turning against us, then we need to fight back."

"I still think the best way is for the Blur to come out of the shadows and reveal himself," Lois answered.

Clark knew she was right. And he had an idea about that. He was going to talk to Lex about staging an argument between them over the whole glasses issue, ensuring it started the gossipers in the office talking.

"You know," Lois said thoughtfully, "I can't help thinking there is more to this than just some kind of crusade against vigilantes."

"What do you mean, Lois?" he asked.

"Well, doesn't it strike you as odd that in spite of all the people the Blur has saved, public opinion is turning against him?"

"You think there might be something else driving it? Lois, look around you. Terrorist threats, extreme security measures – it's almost like they're trying to turn America into ..."

"What?"

Clark snapped his fingers. "I just thought of something." He grabbed her hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To see an old friend."

Two years ago, Clark had met a man who had spent most of the last thirty years in hiding after a government organisation had tried to do the same thing to him that they were now trying to do to Clark and his friends. The oddest thing was that the man hadn't aged a day in those thirty years.

Clark had been in Egypt, helping on a dig site, when he'd run into Carter Hall. He'd been forced to reveal himself when an accident on the site had nearly killed Carter. The older man had grumbled and complained that Clark wasn't supposed to interfere in his 'destiny'.

"You're welcome," Clark had returned, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Carter had come to his tent later, offering him a drink of something which tasted a lot like dirty gym socks, but Clark drank it to be sociable.

"So, Luthor huh? Any relation to Lionel?"

"Son. Adopted."

"Yeah, figured. 'Cause I doubt you would have inherited those powers from the old man."

Clark grimaced. He had hoped Carter hadn't seen him use his strength or his speed. Or his heat vision, for that matter, when he'd fried a scorpion.

"What do you know about him?" Clark asked warily.

Carter raised his hands. "Don't get defensive, chucklehead."

"I'm not getting defensive," Clark returned. "I hate the old man."

"Yeah, join the club," Carter said harshly. "The old man was a real bastard when I knew him. Him and that friend of his he used to hang with back in the day."

"What do you mean, back in the day?"

"Thirty, forty years ago."

"When you were a kid?"

Carter drank and coughed, wiping his hand over his stubbled and dirty face. He clearly wasn't going to explain how he managed to keep from aging and Clark decided not to push it.

"I've been asking questions about you, Luthor. You're not like the others."

"Others?" Clark asked.

"Don't play dumb rich boy. You and your little pals," Carter sneered, "playing at being heroes."

"We're not playing," Clark returned. "This is not a game."

"You have any idea what they'll do to you if they find out who and what you are?"

"Can't be any worse than what my old man tried to do."

"I don't care!" Carter said.

"Then why are you here?"

"I was curious." Carter walked out, leaving him with a lot of unanswered questions.

When Clark left Egypt, he decided to do some research on Carter Hall. He had found that Carter, along with several others, had been arrested on what later turned out to be trumped-up charges. What was really interesting was that the incidents had taken place more than thirty years earlier, and Carter had not aged at all.

Eager to learn more, Clark had tracked down some of the men and had found a brownstone house in the middle of the city. To his surprise, Carter had greeted him in the hallway.

"Wondered when you'd find your way here, rich boy."

"What is this place?" he asked, staring at the artifacts in displays around the huge room. "Some sort of museum?"

"Or something like it," Carter muttered. "For old men and has-beens."

"What is the Justice Society?" Clark asked.

"The past," Carter said, walking away.

"I don't believe you. You wouldn't have kept all this if you didn't still care."

"And what would you know? You and your so-called super friends?"

"You've been studying us?" Clark asked.

"Dr Fate seems to think you're a big deal. I think you're nothing but a spoiled rich kid with too much time on your hands."

"Clark Luthor is not like the others," another voice said and Clark turned to look at the other figure. He was wearing what looked like a gold helmet, but the eyes glowed red. It seemed almost ... alien. "His path is righteous. He will lead the new generation."

"Some leader," Carter snorted. "This generation will make the same mistakes the old one did. People never learn."

"You're wrong," Clark replied.

"Am I?" Carter asked.

"What happened to the Justice Society?" Clark asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter."

"I lost my wife. Shiera."

Carter seemed resigned as he explained that his wife had been killed by a man they had been trying to put away. In his rage at his wife's death, Carter had gone after the man, putting him in a coma which he had never recovered from.

But Carter's story didn't end there. According to legend, Carter had been a prince in ancient Egypt, by the name of Khufu, locked in a bitter feud with a priest, Hath-Set. Eventually Khufu and his consort Chay-Ara were captured and killed by the priest, who cursed their souls so they could not move on to the after-life, but instead were doomed to remain in the mortal world, to be reincarnated over and over again.

Lois had listened in rapt silence as Clark related the story.

"So ... how is it that Carter can't age? I mean, can he die?"

"There was a man who imbued Carter with some kind of energy that retarded his aging."

"Oh."

He parked the car on the side of the road and walked toward a three-storey brownstone building. Clark held Lois' hand as they walked up the steps. He knocked on the door, unsure of what reception he would get.

Once again, Carter opened the door.

"Well, if it isn't the rich boy." He looked at Lois. "Who's this?"

"Lois Lane," she said. "I'm with the Daily Planet."

"Lois Lane, huh? Yeah, I read your work. What do you want, Luthor?"

"We wanted to talk to you. About the Blur."

Carter shook his head. "I don't know anything about the Blur."

"Carter, it's all right. Lois knows everything."

"Good for her."

"Carter, we came to talk to you about what's been happening lately."

"You're referring to this morning's news broadcasts. Yes, I saw it."

"Then you know what we're up against," Clark told him.

Carter raised an eyebrow. "We? Last time I checked, Luthor, there was no 'we'."

"Carter ..." Clark said, exasperated. "Don't pretend you don't care."

"I've spent the last thirty years of my life in hiding because I cared too much. I lost my wife because I cared too much."

"Look," Lois said, stepping forward. "There is something more at work here. It's no coincidence that Slade steps up just as public opinion is turning against Clark and the others."

"It's nothing new," Carter said. "In every period of history there has been a darkness trying to lead the people away from the light."

Clark nodded. Nazi Germany, the Crusades.

"You can't fight the darkness, Clark," the older man told him. "It's not something you can fight. Not physically."

"Then how are we supposed to stop it?"

"By showing them the light."

Clark sighed. He really hated it when people got cryptic on him. But Lois turned and looked at him.

"That's exactly what I've been saying Clark," she said. "You have to come out of the shadows. People need someone to believe in. Someone they can trust. Being the Blur isn't enough. You know why people fear the darkness and the shadows? Because they can't see anything there."

"It's not going to be easy," Carter warned. "This has been building for a long time. Probably since even the Justice Society."

"There must be something you can do to help," Clark asked.

"I don't have the political connections it would take to stop this. And you're far better equipped than I am to halt the rising tide." Clark looked at him blankly and Carter sighed. "Look, do you know how people like Hitler came to power? Because they bombarded people with propaganda. Messages with a bias toward Nazi Germany and against the west. Do you think Saddam Hussein let his people hear about the atrocities his soldiers were committing or did he angle it so it looked like the west was responsible? If you want to beat this, you have to play the game by their rules."

"He's right, Clark. We can bombard the media. Use Facebook, blogging sites. We can get people talking about the Blur and all the good he's done."

Clark grinned. He loved Lois when she was on one of her crusades. And her enthusiasm, not to mention her energy, was infectious.

But they still had a job to do and a story to investigate. Lois had made an appointment with a Dr Yaeger Scanlan. Clark studied the man as they all sat down in his office. He was about six foot tall with greying brown hair. Clark had done some quick digging before they'd left the office. Dr Scanlan had been the attending surgeon at Smallville Medical Centre until he'd resigned four years before Lionel's death to go into private practice. His practice had been financed by Lionel.

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice Dr Scanlan," Lois said.

"Not a problem, Ms Lane. I understand you want to talk to me about Lionel Luthor."

"Yes."

"Well, you know, even though the man has been dead for a year, I'm still reluctant to give you any information on his medical history."

"We could always get a federal subpoena, Dr Scanlan," Clark said quietly. Lois nudged him, but Clark ignored her. "Come on, doctor, it's not like anything you say can hurt him now. Besides you know that we know that Lionel financed you to start this practice. All we want to know is how you managed to cure his liver disease. According to the research notes on CL89, the disease was terminal."

The doctor sighed. "Mr Luthor, I understand, but I can't just ..."

Clark leaned forward, trying to look intimidating.

"I'd hate to think what would happen if my brother decided to have this place's accounts audited, doctor."

"Clark," Lois said in a low voice.

Dr Scanlan bristled at the obvious threat.

"What are you afraid of, doctor?"

"Look, all I can tell you is this. Yes, your father's disease was terminal. As you know, there have been incredible advances in modern medicine and one of those was the discovery that a diseased liver could regenerate when grafted with a healthy donor liver. But your father's disease was already at end-stage and given his age, and his lifestyle, I recommended against the surgery. But he was insistent. He said he had a suitable donor lined up, but he would not say who the donor was."

Clark now understood the doctor's reluctance. What Lionel had done was unethical and most likely illegal.

"How long ago was this?" he asked the doctor.

"The same time I went into private practice."

So the practice had been a bribe, of sorts. It was a typical Lionel thing to do. Make sure everyone involved kept their mouths shut, either by bribery or blackmail. And Scanlan had more to lose if Lionel had chosen to take away his practice.

"Was there another doctor working with you?"

Scanlan nodded.

"Doctor Donovan Jamison."

"Do you know where he is now?" Lois asked.

"No, sorry."

Clark looked at Lois. "I think we've learned all we can from Dr Scanlan," he said. "Thank you for your time."

He couldn't help but notice Dr Scanlan's relief as they left.

They returned to the Daily Planet and Lois immediately began researching Jamison. She gasped.

"Clark, listen to this. Dr Donovan Jamison was the CEO at NuCorp, which is a high-tech energy company, until 2002 when he was asked to resign because he was arrested for selling sensitive technology secrets about the detection of minerals."

"To whom?" Clark asked.

"It doesn't say, but I wonder if it was Lionel?"

Clark shrugged. It certainly sounded plausible. He moved his chair around to read from Lois' screen. Jamison had maintained his innocence in the trial. According to the article from the Smallville Ledger, he eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge to avoid jail time, then disappeared.

Lois' phone rang. Chloe. She put it on speaker.

"Hey cuz," Lois said.

"Hey. Bruce saw the broadcast and he's steaming mad. He's calling a meeting."

"Yeah, Lois and I have some ideas," Clark said. He kept reading through the article, then a name jumped out at him. "Chloe, did you happen to investigate a Donovan Jamison a few years ago?"

"Yes I did, why?"

"His name has come up in something we're investigating about Lionel. What do you know?"

"Well, do you remember a researcher by the name of Steven Hamilton? He was considered some kind of kook in Smallville."

Clark remembered. The man had an impressive collection of meteor rock and had been trying to convince everyone in town that the meteor rock gave people powers. Lex had hired the man to try and rein him in, knowing the risk of exposure to Clark, and had installed him at Cadmus Labs.

"What about him?"

"Well, Jamison was working with Dr Hamilton around the same time you lived with Lex in Smallville. Pete and I broke in to one of his labs and he caught us and showed us one of his experiments. Clark, he was studying dead meteor freaks. He claimed he was trying to cure meteor infections but it looked like he wanted to try and harness the powers for himself. Or for someone else."

Sounded like something Lionel would do, Clark snorted to himself. Chloe went on.

"He was working for Lionel at a facility in Corto Maltese as late as 2007, until the facility was blown. I'm guessing that was Oliver's doing?"

"How'd you know?" he asked, since he hadn't actually told her of Oliver's raids on Lionel's 33.1 facilities.

"Please! Did you forget who you were talking to?"

"God forbid," Lois snorted. "Thanks cuz. When does Bruce want this meeting?"

"ASAP. He's going to be in Metropolis tomorrow. Is that soon enough to gather the troops?" she asked Clark.

"Oliver's still in town," Clark told her. "I'm not sure where the others are but I think he knows."

"Good. Bruce will let you know when he gets in."

"You're not coming?" Lois asked.

"I can't. The proverbial shit has hit the fan here in Gotham and I've got meetings to attend all over tomorrow. Check out the evening edition of the Tribune. It should be online now."

"Why?"

"Just read it," Chloe said. "I've gotta go. Take care of yourselves."

Clark watched as Lois hung up the phone and quickly accessed the Tribune's web page. The lead story was an interview with the Joker in Arkham, claiming that the new backlash against superheroes was 'justice'.

"They're all freaks. Every one of them. And Batman's the biggest one of all. I could tell you stories about him. And that guy calling himself the Blur in Metropolis. Delicious!"

There were other interviews with people who had come out on the side of Slade, saying the 'vigilantes' were a menace and should be locked up.

Clark had the feeling that the timing was no coincidence. It seemed like people like Slade had been planning this for some time and the earlier press conference was just the tip of the iceberg.

He remembered the photographs in Slade's office and knew he and the other members of their league had been the subject of study for some time. The bigger question was, how much did Slade know about their real identities? And what was he going to do with that information?

Lex knocked on the office door.

"How goes the war?" he asked.

"Which one?" Lois returned.

Lex smirked. "I'm heading out to pick up Lena. She's been staying with Oliver for the day."

"Let's hope he hasn't corrupted her," Clark smiled.

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, I think maybe that should be the other way around. You two coming over for dinner? You can bring Maddie. I'd like to meet her."

"Sure. We can update you on what we have so far," Lois nodded, glancing at Clark, who smiled at her.

"I'll see you in about an hour or so then. I think Mrs H is roasting a leg of mutton."

Clark licked his lips. He loved roast mutton. Not to mention the roast vegetables.

"With roast vegetables?" he asked.

"And peas too, I think."

Clark's face fell. He hated peas. Lex grinned, knowing how Clark felt about the little green vegetables. He left the office, still grinning.

Lois grinned at him. "I saw that," she said.

"Saw what?" he said, trying for an innocent look.

"I saw you screw your face up."

"Well, I hate peas."

"Why is that exactly?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I've always hated them. When I was about four we were eating at the formal dining table and my mom served me up some peas. As soon as I took a mouthful I spat them out." He shuddered. Lionel had been so pissed at Clark's lack of manners he'd whacked his butt until Clark had been screaming with pain, then sent him to his room. Clark hadn't been invulnerable in those days although he had still been fairly strong.

"Well, I'm not surprised you hate peas after that," Lois said sympathetically. "I mean, I got a couple of good whacks on my behind if I misbehaved when I was little, but they were more shocking than painful. My dad was big on discipline but it was more the making me do chores kind of discipline rather than the physical kind."

"Yeah, Lena misbehaves from time to time but I've never seen Lex hit her. I think he just doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes Lionel made."

"Those weren't mistakes, Clark. That was abuse."

Clark realised she was right. She'd been right about a lot of things where his relationship with his father was concerned. He had spent most of his childhood afraid of his father, while being taught that fear was something to be exploited in others.

Lois shook him gently, then leaned over and kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just felt like it." She stood up and held out her hand. "Come on, we should go pick up Maddie."

"Yeah," he said, getting up to follow her.

Just as they were leaving the office, there was a bright flash. A boy about seventeen or eighteen grinned at them.

"Caught ya," he said.

Lois frowned at him. "What?"

"Oh sorry, my name's Jimmy. Jimmy Olsen. I just started here today." He tapped the camera at his side. "Photographer. Well, I'm going to be."

Clark looked the boy over. He was about five ten with reddish brown hair and a freckled face. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

"So what were you doing?" he asked the boy.

"Mr White told me to get some practice taking candid shots," Jimmy said, but there was a slight inflection in his tone which made Clark think the boy wasn't quite telling the truth. But he decided to let it go for now.

They picked up Maddie at the apartment. She had told Clark that morning she wanted to do some studying. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to high school and be two years behind others her age so she had been looking into the GED and what she would need to get entry into college.

Clark had told her about the trust and everything else Lex's attorney had said. Maddie was quiet in the car on the way to Lex's house and Clark had the impression that Maddie was feeling a little anxious about meeting his brother. Lois glanced at him and he knew she was thinking the same thing. He wanted to say something to the girl but she just kept staring out the window.

Lena pounced on them as soon as they got in, still carrying the kitten around as if it was her new best friend. It was a good thing the kitten was so placid as it didn't seem to mind the treatment.

Lena stared at Maddie, retreating behind Clark.

"Lena, this is Maddie," he told his niece.

Maddie waved a hand, looking shyly back at the young girl.

"Hi. Is that your kitten?"

Lena nodded mutely.

"What's her name?" Maddie asked.

"Minnie."

"Cool name," the teen said.

Lena stepped forward a little. "Wanna play with her?" she said.

"Okay."

The two girls went off together. Lois sent Clark an amused look as they stepped into the house. Lex and Oliver were talking in the living room while the housekeeper was finishing up the dinner preparations in the kitchen.

Oliver looked at them.

"So, what do you think of the new witch hunt?" he asked.

"Remains to be seen," Clark answered.

"Was your father any help?" Lex asked Lois.

She nodded. "He said he'd do what he could to try and stall things at least, but he didn't make any promises. He clearly doesn't like Slade though."

"Not a lot of people do, from what I hear," Oliver said. He looked at Clark. "I called Bart and the others. They'll be here tomorrow. What about Kara?"

"I don't even know where she is," Clark told him. "Kara and I don't talk much."

Clark had found his cousin a few years ago. She had been sent to Earth at the same time as him but her ship had been damaged after being hit by an asteroid and she had drifted a little off course, landing, of all places, in a river in Smallville. It was only after a severe flood that Kara's ship became dislodged and she was woken from stasis to find that twenty years had passed.

Kara had been searching preschools, thinking she had only been asleep for as long as it had taken for the ship to fly to Earth. Clark had heard about it through the grapevine and went looking for her. She had been surprised to learn she had been asleep for so long and hadn't acclimated well to Earth. It hadn't helped that Clark had practically muzzled her from the moment she had appeared on the scene.

After months of arguing, Kara had taken off and Clark hadn't heard a word from her for three years, until Supergirl had come on the scene, rescuing a truck driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel and had drifted off course, about to go over a steep bank on a windy road in San Francisco.

Clark had seen the news headlines about the girl while on his travels and had gone to see her. But Kara had been hostile even then. He supposed he couldn't blame her, really. He'd never been that discreet about using his powers and for him to tell her the opposite was a little hypocritical.

"Maybe you should try tracking her down," Oliver suggested.

"Yeah, maybe."

The conversation turned to Lionel and his activities. Clark listened as Lois told Lex about the visit to Dr Scanlan.

"And you two think this Dr Jamison was doing what, exactly?"

"Well, that's just it, we don't know. But there has to be a connection to what he was doing for Lionel and the experiments with CL89."

"I thought the tests were unsuccessful?" Lex asked.

"They were. So maybe Lionel found another way?" Lois suggested.

Maddie and Lena came in. Maddie looked shyly at Lex, who smiled gently at her. Clark knew Lex had had his own experience with shyness. Years of being taunted for his baldness had made him a little insecure.

"Hi Maddie," he said. "It's nice to meet you. Clark's told me all about you."

Maddie nodded. She looked up at Oliver, who smiled back and shook her hand.

"I think we might have met briefly a few years ago," he said. "When your foster mom was working for Lionel."

"Naomi," she said. "I remember."

Mrs Hendricks came in and announced dinner was ready.

"Girls, go wash up for dinner," Lex instructed. "Lena, you can show Maddie where to go."

"Okay Daddy."

Clark watched the two girls wander down the hallway. Lena seemed to be handling things better. She certainly seemed a lot brighter than she had been. He supposed the fact that her father had spent the whole weekend with her had had a lot to do with that as well.

"Let's eat," he said. "I'm starved."

Lex just sent him a withering look and shook his head, sighing.


	49. Jamison

Chapter Forty-Nine

It was getting harder and harder to say goodbye, Lois thought. Clark had left Maddie in the car to walk her to her door and they'd spent the last ten minutes just kissing.

"I really wish you'd move in with me," Clark said.

Lois played with the button on his shirt. "You know why I can't," she said.

Clark smiled. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

She grinned and gave him a quick kiss.

"Goodnight," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

"I love you, Lois."

"I know. I love you too," she said.

Dreamily she opened her door and walked in. The cat rubbed himself against her legs and she bent down to pick him up, rubbing her face in his soft fur. He mewed plaintively.

"Okay, okay," she said. "Let's go find you some food."

She carried him into the kitchen and rummaged in the cupboard for the cat food, putting it in a bowl for him. He looked up at her and mewed again, rubbing his face against her legs.

"You're very affectionate tonight," she said.

The cat purred and began eating. Lois watched him for a moment, then turned to go to her bedroom. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, stripping and getting under the warm water.

As she got out of the shower and wrapped her bathrobe around her, the phone rang. She went out into the bedroom to pick it up.

"Lois Lane."

"Hello, Lois. It's Martha."

"Martha. How are you?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. We were wondering how you were. We hadn't heard from you since Lena spent the day with us. How is she doing?"

"She's getting there. Her father got her a kitten."

"A kitten? Really?"

"It seems to be helping."

"Well, good. It's been a rough few days for her. Jonathan and I loved having her the other day."

"Yeah, she talked non-stop at dinner the other night. I think she really enjoyed herself too."

"And how are you and Clark?"

"He asked me to move in with him, but I'm not ready to. Not yet."

"Take your time, sweetheart. It's only been a few weeks. You need to really get to know each other first. You know, Jonathan and I dated for over a year before he asked me to marry him. When he did propose I turned him down. Twice."

"Really? Why?"

"Oh, it's not because I doubted my feelings for him. Or his for me. Oh, no, I knew the moment I set eyes on him that he was the one. But there were so many other things to consider. Jonathan and my father really didn't get along. Well, my father was a lawyer and he just didn't see any future in me being a farmer's wife."

"Fathers don't change," Lois chuckled. "My dad's the same with Clark."

"They only want what's best for us. Trouble is, their idea of what's best for us and our idea are two different things. The important thing is you love each other. And anyone can see that young man is crazy about you."

"I'm crazy about him too. Is it wrong for me to want to wait?"

"No, sweetheart. Like I said, take your time. Enjoy being with each other without the pressure of worrying about the future."

They talked for a little while about other things. By the time Lois rang off, the cat had joined her on the bed, purring as he settled next to her.

"Oh, I see. You want company tonight, huh? No girlfriends to chase?"

"Miaow," he said, lifting his head for her to scratch under his chin.

She lay back, letting the cat curl next to her and reached for the remote to turn on the television. The phone rang again and she picked it up.

"Lois Lane."

"Good evening, Miss Lane," a voice said.

Lois smiled. "You know, anyone would think I had a superhero stalker," she answered.

"I was out on patrol and I thought I should come by and check on you."

"You know you don't have to do that," she said. "Besides, I have company."

"Oh? Male company?"

"Matter of fact. He's very good-looking and affectionate. He's lying right beside me."

"Hmm. Does this person have a name?"

Lois chuckled. "You sound jealous. Don't be, you know. He doesn't have a patch on you. Mind you, he's probably just as jealous. He really doesn't like sharing you know."

Clark chuckled. "Well, you're going to have to tell that cat that he will just have to get used to sharing you."

Lois' eyes widened as she realised he knew the cat was in the bedroom with her.

"Clark Luthor! Are you x-raying through my drapes?"

"What if I was? Would you punish me?"

"You are a very bad man, Clark Luthor," she scolded.

"You shouldn't tease then, Miss Lane." He hesitated and Lois heard a siren. "I have to go," he said.

"Sounds like a job for the Blur?" she said.

"Goodnight Lois," he said softly, clicking off.

Lois grinned as she hung up the phone and lay back against the pillows.

When she got into work the next morning, Cat and Jeff were gossiping by the coffee pot.

"And then he said he wasn't going to look like a geek," Cat was saying. "And then Lex said ..."

"Lex said what?" Lois asked.

Cat turned around, staring at her.

"Oh! Lois, I didn't see you there."

"Lex said what?" she repeated.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Your boyfriend and the boss were arguing this morning. Something about Clark having to wear glasses."

"And what business is it of yours?" Lois asked.

"Come on, Lois, the whole building could practically hear them."

"Hear what?"

Lois turned around. Clark had obviously entered the room quietly. If she hadn't known it was him, she would have done a double-take. He was wearing the ugliest pair of horn-rimmed spectacles she'd ever seen. And he looked depressed at the very thought.

"Are those the ones the eye doctor gave you?" she asked sympathetically.

"Don't even start, Lois."

"Clark, they're not that bad. Really."

"I look like a geek," he complained. "But Lex is making me wear them."

"Well, it's either that or your eyes get worse," she said. "I'm not surprised Lex laid down the law."

Clark sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, I get the message."

Lois poured coffee for both of them, watching the looks of sympathy from Cat and Jeff. She led the way to her office, then closed the door behind Clark.

"I thought you weren't going to put the plan into action so soon?"

"Yeah, but with all the backlash against the Blur and Green Arrow, Lex thought it was better sooner than later. And I had these in a drawer at home," he said, taking off the glasses and putting them down on the desk.

Lois picked them up and looked them over. There was a slight distortion as she looked through them.

"How come you had them?"

"I had an accident when I was sixteen, trying to stop a guy robbing a store in Smallville. It's a long story but I basically burned out my retinas."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, ouch is right."

"Well, at least your little argument with Lex had the desired effect. No one's going to question you suddenly wearing them."

Clark nodded. "Anyway, we have to get to Watchtower. Bruce called me early this morning."

"He doesn't waste much time, does he?"

"Nope."

Clark grabbed the glasses, heaving his shoulders in a sigh, and put them on. Lois grinned at him and leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek.

"Did I ever tell you I actually love geeks in glasses?" she said.

Clark growled. "I hope you don't mean geeks plural," he answered.

"No," she assured him. "Only one geek does it for me."

Holding hands, they walked out of the office and headed out toward the building known as Watchtower. It was an older building with a huge dome at the top and beautiful round, stained-glass windows.

They walked in through the double doors to find not only Bruce and Oliver, but also Bart, Victor, AC and his wife Mera, Dinah and another blonde girl Lois recognised from Slade's board of known 'vigilantes'. Clark looked surprised to see her.

"Kara?"

"Hello Kal-El," Kara said softly.

The two awkwardly hugged. Lois wondered what had happened between the cousins to make them so awkward with each other.

"Kara, this is my girlfriend, Lois Lane. Lois, this is my cousin, Kara."

"Hi," Lois said, shaking the girl's hand. "We didn't think you knew about this."

"I've seen the reports," the blonde nodded. "And Oliver tracked me down. He asked me to come."

Lois couldn't help but notice the look she sent Clark. It wasn't exactly hostile, but it wasn't friendly either.

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Clark said quietly and it seemed clear he was trying to make amends for whatever had happened between them in the past.

Oliver clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What's with the glasses?" he asked grinning as if he was thinking up some kind of caustic remark to tease his friend.

"Lois thinks the Blur needs to, uh, come out. Especially given what's happened."

"It's not a bad idea," Bruce said. "But how are you going to stop people recognising you?"

"Lex is going to work with Jor-El to come up with something," Clark answered.

Clark walked to the other side of the room with Oliver and Bruce to explain the plan and Lois took the opportunity to talk to Kara.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice the hostility," she said. "What exactly did Clark do?"

"It's nothing," Kara said. "So you and Kal-El? I mean, Clark? How long have you been seeing each other?"

"A few weeks."

Kara snorted. "I'm surprised it's lasted that long. You know, Clark is ..."

"I know Clark's reputation. He's changed."

"I doubt that," Kara said, snorting again. "Clark is nothing but a hypocrite."

"Why? What happened between you two?"

Kara looked at her evenly. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"It's what makes me a good reporter," she smiled.

"Did Clark tell you how we finally met?"

"Well, I assumed you came about the same time as Clark. When you were both little."

The blonde shook her head.

"No. I mean, I did come at the same time as Clark, but I was a teenager when I came here. I think the Earth equivalent age is sixteen? Anyway, my body was in suspended animation. It was the only way I could have survived the journey from Krypton. My ship was damaged by a meteor rock and flung off course so it landed at the bottom of Reeves River, near the dam. It was stuck there for nearly twenty years until a severe flood dislodged my ship."

Lois frowned. She remembered something from a few years earlier, when there had been rumours of a ship which had been found in the backwoods of Smallville, a day or so after an accident at the dam had caused major flooding. It could have been much worse except for the fact that, or so a small child had claimed, a super man had come and used some sort of heat ray to evaporate the water. Lois glanced at Clark, who was still talking with Bruce and Oliver, realising the child's story had not been so far-fetched after all.

Lois herself had pursued the story of the ship, learning it had been taken by an agent of the Department of Domestic Security. A paranoid jerk by the name of Carter.

"That was your ship," she gasped.

Kara nodded. "Because of what that agent did, it came very close to wiping out an entire county."

"But I don't see how that makes Clark a hypocrite," she said.

"He kept lecturing me about not using my powers. About keeping a low profile."

"Did you even ask him why?"

Kara looked at her. "Not really. Why?"

"Well, then maybe you should know that Lionel Luthor tried to exploit his powers. Use them against his enemies. Clark turned his back on his father because of it. And Lionel spent years experimenting on people affected by the meteors. Maybe Clark didn't want you to become one of them. Anyway, Clark's brother has been trying the same thing."

"You mean Lex?"

"No. Their, I mean, Lex's half-brother, Lucas."

Kara frowned, turning her head to look at Clark.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Did you ever give him the chance? Look, I know Clark could be an ass at times, and yeah, even when I first met him, he was pretty arrogant. But Clark's had to put up a lot of walls to protect himself. But he's trying to be more open. Maybe you should give him that chance. Besides, you've both lost your real family. I mean, it must be lonely, having no one else of your kind around."

Kara nodded. "You're right, Lois. I guess I at least owe him that. We are cousins."

Lois smiled at the girl. She was relieved she had managed to at least get some of her message across. She watched as Kara approached Clark and the two of them talked for a few moments.

The double doors were flung open and Carter Hall walked in, along with a girl in her late teens. A tall man Lois recognised as detective John Jones followed them in.

"Carter," Clark said. "I'm surprised to see you."

"I'm shocked," the older man said sarcastically.

"Hawkman," the young blonde with him said softly.

"Hawkman?" Lois asked.

He turned a sharp blue-eyed gaze on her, but said nothing. The dark-skinned man smiled at her.

"Miss Lane," he said, inclining his head.

"Detective Jones?"

"Not exactly," he answered and for a moment his visage slipped to show what Lois could only describe as a green, glowing form and red eyes. She gasped and blinked. Jones appeared as human as before.

"What are you? A Vulcan?" she asked.

Jones laughed. "Martian, to be exact."

"Oh."

It seemed funny that she could take all of this in her stride. Weeks ago she was sure she would have fainted, or something.

Oliver rubbed his hands together.

"Let's get this show on the road," he said, looking at Bruce. "You called this meeting."

Bruce nodded. "Gather round." He continued on without waiting for everyone to gather. "It's clear we have a problem. Slade Wilson is already making headlines by coming out and saying that we are nothing but vigilantes. We need to start working together to prove Slade wrong and turn public opinion around."

Lois scoffed. "One man's opinion isn't going to change the world!"

"Then you clearly haven't been reading the papers," Bruce told her. "Even your own. There have been editorials in newspapers all over the world calling for all so-called vigilantes to be taken to task by the world's governments. This is not just an isolated thing."

"It sounds to me like this is something that has been building for a while," Clark said. "It seems too sudden, otherwise."

"You'd be right," Bruce answered. "And I think Carter is the one to answer that question."

"That was thirty years ago," Carter told him.

Lois looked at them. She knew about the Justice Society and what had happened to them after they'd refused to work for the government. But this was Slade Wilson. He was a military man.

"Even if there is a history, it doesn't explain why Slade's involved," she said.

Clark looked at her. "Lois?"

"Well, I just mean there has to be another reason why Slade hates you all so much."

"Lady's got a point," Bart said.

"You're the reporter, Lois," Bruce said. "Maybe you should check that out. See what you can find out from Slade's background. In the meantime, I think we need to come up with a viable solution."

"Well, what about Clark's idea," Oliver said. "Coming out of the shadows."

"I wasn't the one who thought of it," Clark reminded them, smiling at Lois. "It was hers."

"That's all very well, but it won't work for all of us."

"Yeah, but I think boss man has the right idea," AC said, glancing down at Mera, who was clutching his arm. "If he comes out, so to speak, and we're all seen backing him up ..."

"Of course, you still need to build up the image with the public," Dinah said. "They're not going to instantly trust the Blur when he shows his face."

That was true, Lois thought, but that was also something she could help with. Give them a little time, a crisis or two and it might sway the public opinion in their favour. AC seemed to be suggesting something a little more.

"I think what you're suggesting," Carter said, "is something similar to what we tried to do with the Justice Society. But do you really think that is what the public need, given the current climate?"

"Okay," Lois said, thinking out loud. "I think what we need is time. Clark needs time to build up his new double identity and we need to figure out whether Slade has some kind of axe to grind."

"There's also the problem of the kids who have been part of Lionel's - and Lucas' for that matter – experiments," Clark reminded her.

"What's this?" Bruce asked.

"It's part of the story we're working on, and it's connected to Slade. Lionel tried to get the military interested in his experiments with people who were meteor-infected. They turned him down, but Lucas tried the same thing with Slade," Lois answered.

"Well, I'm not surprised that Lucas has tried to drum up the interest in the project," Bruce mused. "Think about it. People with powers make the perfect soldier. If a scientist could come up with a way to harness those abilities and recreate them, our military would be unstoppable."

"They may have already done so," came Chloe's voice through the monitor. "Sorry to interrupt the meeting guys, but I have been doing some digging of my own into a doctor Donovan Jamison. After I talked with you two yesterday," she said, nodding at Lois and Clark, "I decided to see if I could track down this doctor. And he claims to have been able to come up with a formula which imbues normal human beings with super powers. It's still not even at the prototype stage but word on the street is he is making it available to the highest bidder."

Lois looked at Clark.

"I think we need to go pay the good doctor a visit," she murmured.

Bruce nodded. "You may be right, Lois. But more importantly I think we all need a strategy."

"You could always go underground," Carter said with a smirk.

"And that worked so well for us," Courtney Whitmore told him. The older man sent the teen a withering look.

"The only reason you're part of this, Courtney, is because of Pat," he growled. "You're too young to even consider ..."

Courtney faced the man down. "You're always going to think I'm too young," she retorted.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Victor asked.

Lois frowned. She realised they hadn't exactly got around to introductions.

"This is Courtney Whitmore, otherwise know as Star Girl," Clark said. "Her stepfather worked with the Star Spangled Kid in the Justice Society."

"What kind of codename is Star Spangled Kid?" AC asked.

"Oh yeah, like Aquaman is so much better."

"Clam it, Impulse," AC told Bart.

"How'd you like to be stuffed into a can like sardines?" Bart returned.

"Quiet small fry," Victor growled.

"Why don't you shut it, Tin Man."

Lois groaned and rolled her eyes. The three squabbling men stared at her.

"My god, you're like the Three Stooges," she said.

Oliver wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Lois, these guys are what we call the Comic Relief."

"Well, what does that make you?" Carter rasped. "Mr Green Jackass?"

"Well at least I have a sense of style, Tweety," Oliver returned.

Oh no, Lois thought as the two men began to squabble. Bruce, Dinah, Kara, Mera and Chloe looked on with exasperated expressions. Finally there was a shrill whistle from Clark.

"Hey, could we all start acting like grown-ups and start thinking up some strategies to deal with this issue?"

The others had the grace to look shamefaced as Clark went on.

"Now Lois mentioned an idea yesterday and I think she might be on to know how powerful the social media can be. It's like Carter said. People rose to power because of propaganda. So why can't we make it work for us as well?"

Bruce snorted.

"While you have a point about propaganda, Clark, I really don't see myself having a page on Facebook."

"Sure, maybe not Batman," Lois answered, knowing full well Bruce already had his own Facebook page.

"I still don't see Batman doing it," Bruce returned.

"Uh, you don't have to," Chloe said. "There's already a twitter page dedicated to the Blur. And Batman. And a lot of people have been tweeting their support for the Blur since the press conference."

"We are not in this for the publicity, Chloe," Bruce told her.

"Maybe not, but maybe it's the only way to get a network going. I mean, how else are you going to find others like you out there? And it might be the only way to beat the naysayers like Slade."

"I'll consider it," he told her sharply.

Lois couldn't help but notice the look her cousin gave her boyfriend. She knew there had been a few arguments between them about Bruce's commitment issues and she wondered if the sharp tones had something to do with that. Bruce clearly had his own way of doing things, but that didn't make him in charge of the group either. If anything, she could see that the others turned more easily to Clark than they did Bruce.

"I think Chloe's got a point," Oliver said. "And it's a pretty good bet someone like Slade will be using social media to his advantage. So why not us? I mean, it's not about publicity-seeking."

"I think we should table that idea until we have an idea of Slade's real agenda," Lois answered.

Clark nodded. "You're right, Lo." Everyone else nodded their agreement. Clark continued. "In the meantime, I think we should just keep doing what we do, getting out there and helping people. No matter what people like Slade say, we can't let it change what we do and how we do it. People need us. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Bruce said.

They left Watchtower. Lois felt little had been resolved by the meeting but they at least had a place to start.

"Which do you want to do first?" Clark asked. "Go talk to Jamison or see what we can find out about Slade?"

"Let's go see Jamison first," she said.

Chloe had provided them with an address on Jamison. It was the basement of an apartment building downtown, not far from the Daily Planet. The only problem was there was no way to get in the building without a key.

Clark shrugged at her.

"Not an issue," he said.

Lois glanced around, then watched as Clark used just a tiny amount of his strength and broke the lock.

"You come in handy," she quipped.

She followed him into the building and down the stairs to the basement, waiting quietly as he knocked on the door.

"Dr Jamison?" he said when the door was opened.

The man was stocky, with thin grey hair and a bald pate. He looked at them warily.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked.

Before Clark could tell the man his name, Lois put her foot in the door.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet. This is my partner. We're working on a story involving a man named Lucas Dunleavy and some experiments with meteor rocks. We heard you might know something about it."

The man tried to shut the door on them but only managed to hit Lois' foot. She grimaced at the sharp pain in her foot but pressed on.

"I have nothing to say to reporters."

"Really?" she said, pushing the door open as the scientist tried to turn away. "Well, I don't buy the 'no comment'. We know you were working for Lionel Luthor several years ago."

The man's eyes darted here and there and he was giving a pretty good impression of a caged animal. Lois felt Clark's hand on her shoulder.

"Lionel Luthor has been dead for a year and I have no wish to dredge up past errors, nor speak ill of the dead."

Clark spoke up.

"We heard you were working on more than meteor rocks," he said. "We talked to a Dr Scanlan about my ... about Lionel's liver disease and how he came to be suddenly cured."

Jamison peered at him, frowning at the horn-rimmed glasses.

"You look a little familiar," he said.

"I have one of those faces," Clark returned.

"Look, you must understand, I was working under a lot of stress in those days. I ..."

"Just tell us how you managed to cure Lionel."

The man knew he was cornered and he slumped his shoulders in defeat. He sighed, then began to talk. Lois listened closely, her hand on her recorder.

Jamison had been hired by Lionel after the scandal at NuCorp to study the effects of meteor rocks. About the time Clark was eighteen, Jamison was given a new project involving the meteor rocks. He was working with a team of scientists learning to clone bodies from live cells, using the meteor rock to accelerate growth.

As soon as they had had a viable clone, albeit not a fully sentient one, Lionel had ordered Jamison to harvest the liver.

So that explained it, Lois thought. Lionel had grown a clone and had the organ transplanted into his own body.

But there was a problem, Jamison explained. The liver from the clone, while free of disease, had not been wholly compatible with Lionel's body and he was forced to inject himself once a month with an anti-rejection agent. But unlike other drugs made available to other transplant patients, this one had been manufactured using blood platelets.

"Where did the clone come from?" Clark asked Jamison.

The other man shook his head.

"I don't know. But rumour has it the DNA came from one of Luthor's own sons."

Lois continued to try to push the man for answers on the experiments with the meteor-infected but Jamison had clearly said all he was going to say.


	50. Ares

Chapter Fifty

Clark left Lois in her office to write up what they had learned so far and ran up to Lex's office. Mayson was sitting opposite Lex, drinking coffee.

"Oh, hello Mayson."

"Clark. How are you?" she said, frowning at him. "New look?"

"Busy as usual," he answered, without replying to her second query. "I can come back."

"Oh, it's all right. We were just finishing up," Lex said, smiling at Mayson. Clark wondered if Lex and the DA were talking about more than the case. From his brother's good mood he thought things might have been getting more personal.

Mayson stood up.

"It was a pleasure, Lex," she smiled. She turned and looked at Clark. "I almost forgot. Did you think about what we talked about the other night?"

Clark frowned at her, then remembered. She'd wanted to question the Blur, as well as Green Arrow and Batman.

"I'm not sure what I can do to help," he said, stalling for time.

Mayson's brow creased in a frown. "But didn't Batman and Green Arrow save your life?" She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm not about invading their privacy, Clark. But it really would help the case if I can get their stories."

He nodded. "I'll see what I can find out for you," he said.

"Thanks." She turned back to Lex who stood, reaching across the desk for her hand. "We'll talk later in the week," she promised as he lifted her hand to kiss it.

"All right, Mayson. Thanks for dropping by."

Clark watched as his brother stared after the blonde woman.

"Like her, huh?" he said.

Lex smiled. "Actually, I do. She seems to be a very nice woman. So," he added, sitting down again. "What's up?"

"Lois and I found Jamison."

"What did you find out?"

"You're not going to like this. He did help Lionel get a new liver. From a clone."

Lex's eyes widened. "What?"

"Lionel's scientists used DNA, from one of us, and created a clone. It wasn't fully alive, from what I can tell. Certainly not sentient. They hadn't perfected the process."

"It could have been me," Lex said, sighing softly.

"Not likely," Clark answered, shaking his head. "For one thing, the liver they transplanted into Lionel wasn't fully compatible. His body began to reject the liver. At least, until Lionel began taking a serum. The serum."

"Shit! I'm sorry, Clark. I should have been there to protect you."

"It's not your fault, Lex. You did what you had to do to protect Lena."

"But still ... if I had stuck around, Lionel might not have ..."

"He would have killed you, Lex. Or even worse, you could have become him. Don't feel guilty for doing the right thing where your daughter is concerned. Besides, in the end none of it mattered. Lionel is dead because Lucas and Morgan Edge had him murdered. I know it sounds uncharitable, but he got what he deserved."

"So this clone ... is it possible that it could be ..."

"Jamison didn't say what happened to it, but I very much doubt the clone is walking around somewhere."

"What if Lucas was keeping it somewhere to do more experiments on it?"

"It's possible, I suppose. That's if the thing can still exist after they harvested the liver from it."

Lex shuddered. "Ugh, what a horrible thought. I wish there was some way of finding out what other experiments Lionel was doing."

"Jamison might have those answers. I was thinking about going back tonight and breaking into his apartment."

"What are you doing about the other stuff? Like Slade?"

"Lois and I talked about that. We're going to keep working on ways to slowly bring the Blur out of the shadows. And Chloe mentioned something about an online presence."

"Oh yeah, you're on Twitter. Didn't you know about that?"

"Me, or the Blur?"

"The Blur. You apparently have your own account."

Clark frowned at his brother. "Chloe mentioned something about a page dedicated to the Blur, but I didn't think ..."

"The page already has over a million followers Clark. You really need to start keeping up with your own press."

Clark sighed. "It's a burden being the idol of millions," he quipped.

"Cute, little brother," Lex said, reaching over to ruffle Clark's hair.

Clark pulled away in protest, laying a protective hand over his head.

"Not the hair!" he said. "Don't touch the hair!"

Lex laughed at him. The brothers chatted for a while, totally at ease with each other.

"How are the glasses working out?"

"Fine. The guys kidded me about them but they understand the need for them. And I suppose it helps getting looks of sympathy from the guys in the bullpen."

"Yes, I know Cat overheard our so-called 'argument'. But that's what you wanted, right?"

"So it wouldn't seem so sudden, yeah. But I suppose I do need to talk to Jor-El about the other thing."

"That would be best. Especially with some of the negative stuff being said about you in other publications, which shall remain nameless." Lex grimaced. There had always been long-standing issues with the likes of the Inquistior, whose reporters seemed to take a perverse pleasure in reporting anything negative about the Luthor family in particular.

"What are you going to do about Mayson? She's going to keep pushing for an answer," Lex reminded him.

"Yeah. I forgot all about that, but I'm going to go talk to the guys about it. I should get back to Lois and help her with the story."

Lex nodded. "Before she calls out a search party, you mean?"

"She's not that bad," Clark protested.

"She's your girlfriend," Lex commented. "Don't get me wrong. Lois is beautiful, brilliant, smart, sexy, not to mention tough. I sure as hell wouldn't want to mess with her. I have to admit I knew you had a tiger by the tail when you first decided to go after her, and I'm not usually in the habit of saying I told you so, but ..."

"Consider it said," Clark told him, raising his hand. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Lex just smirked and sat back. "All I can say is, better you than me. You're probably the only one who can handle her anyway."

"Ain't that the truth." Clark stood up. "I'll see you later, Lex."

Lois had finished writing up the story when he returned to her office and he read over what she'd written, adding a little more to it as well as correcting her spelling. She was a good writer but her spelling was horrible.

"Gee, don't hold back," she complained.

Clark grinned. He remembered the first time she'd edited his column. There had been red marks all through the copy and he'd said basically the same thing.

"Payback's a bitch," he told her.

"Why you ..." she began, grabbing his hand so he couldn't type. He pulled her onto his lap, kissing her hard. Lois tried to pull away but he held her fast until she melted against him. When he finally let go, she looked down at him. "You are a very bad man, Clark Luthor."

"You're just now figuring that out?" he smirked.

"You wait mister," she told him. "I am soooo going to get you back for that."

"Promises, promises," he replied. He lifted her off his lap and returned to his typing, completing the edit within a couple of minutes. He sent the copy to the city editor, then turned back to his girlfriend. She was drinking coffee and pretending to ignore him.

He nuzzled her neck.

"You wanna come over tonight for dinner?" he asked. "I could make something special."

"I'm listening," she said.

"Why don't I surprise you?" he answered. She turned in his arms, putting her arms around his neck, kissing him with fervour.

"Hmm, you've got yourself a date, Mr Luthor."

"Come by around seven," he told her. "Or I could pick you up."

"I'll be there at seven," she promised.

With a final kiss, Clark left the office and returned to Watchtower. Bruce and Oliver were waiting for him, already suited up. He'd called them as he'd left Lex's office and told them what he planned to do.

"Are you sure about this?"

"She's not going to let it go," he told his friends.

Oliver nodded and handed him a voice modulator. It was similar to the one he used as Green Arrow.

"All right, but stick to the shadows. Mayson knows you."

"I know," he answered. "Let's go."

They headed to the Justice building downtown. Clark had made sure to learn Mayson's schedule and knew exactly when she was planning on leaving.

"Good evening, Miss Drake," Green Arrow said as the woman walked down the front steps of the building. She turned, startled.

"Green Arrow?" She looked beyond the green leather suited figure to Batman.

"We heard you wanted to talk to us."

"Yes, but I hardly think this is the right forum ..."

"Miss Drake," Batman answered. "We understand your concerns. But despite what other people have suggested about us, we are not vigilantes. We are here to help."

"I would say vigilante is a relative term, wouldn't you, Batman? After all, your actions are not exactly sanctioned by the authorities."

"We are not trying to supersede the police in any way," Clark told her.

"I'm speaking with the Blur?" she asked.

"You are."

"Why do you choose to stay in the shadows?" she said. "For that matter, why do you all choose to be masked?"

"For the simple reason that none of us are doing this with the expectation of reward or publicity," Green Arrow answered. "We are not here to be held up on pedestals. We are simply just doing what we can to ensure the citizens of Metropolis, and Gotham," he added, with a nod at Batman, "can sleep safely in their homes."

"We also choose to hide our identities for the simple fact that there are others in our lives who would not be protected if we allowed the public to know who we are," Batman added.

"Still, the judge involved in the Lucas Dunleavy case is the type of judge who is inherently suspicious of anyone who chooses to hide behind a mask, even if you do have valid reasons for hiding yourselves."

"We appreciate that, Miss Drake," Clark replied, "but the judge also needs to appreciate our perspective. We value our privacy."

"How did you know about Lucas?" she asked.

"We have contacts in various areas," Batman told her.

She nodded. "Yes, I understand you work with Commissioner Gordon, on occasion."

"The Commissioner does request my assistance, from time to time."

"And how did you come to be in Metropolis if your home is in Gotham?"

"I happened to be pursuing a lead into the Joker. He is heavily involved in organised crime here in this city."

"And you, Green Arrow? I thought your territory was Star City."

"I go where I'm needed. And I also happened to be pursuing another angle of this case. I believe you know of Marionette Ventures."

"Yes. My research tells me it is an offshoot of Intergang." She huffed. "I'm still concerned about your involvement. I appreciate the assistance you have all given, but I can't go back to the judge with your answers. She simply isn't going to buy it."

"You know we cannot testify, Miss Drake," Clark said. "It would be impossible."

"I know. I have enough evidence to try the case without your testimony, but what concerns me is the defence may use your involvement to have Lucas acquitted on a technicality. After all, you are not police officers."

"Perhaps not, but we can detain them until the authorities arrive."

That was debatable, Clark thought. Mayson did have a point. But they still had the power of Citizens Arrest and that would have to be enough for the judge.

Mayson asked them a few more questions, appearing satisfied with their answers. Clark watched her go, then turned to his friends.

"Thanks," he said.

"Let's hope it's enough to convince Sinclair," Bruce answered. "From what I hear, the woman is as tough as they come."

"Yeah, Lex said she was incorruptible."

"What about Mayson's concern about the possible hit on you?" Oliver asked.

Clark shrugged. "She told us it was a lost cause."

"Yes, but if Lucas has sent someone after all three of you," Bruce answered, "don't you think it would be prudent to watch your back? Or to have Lois under some kind of protection?"

"Bart and Victor are keeping an eye on her," Clark told him. "I just don't want to crowd her and make her think I'm being the over-protective boyfriend."

Oliver grinned, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Better you than me," he said. "Especially if she finds out about her 'bodyguards'."

"Gee, thanks," Clark returned.

Bruce was tapping his ear. "She what? All right, I'll tell him."

Clark looked at the older man. "What is it?"

"Your girlfriend is in trouble."

"Again?" Oliver asked, sounding exasperated.

"Where is she?" Clark asked, immediately concerned.

Bruce listened to his communicator, nodding, then looked back at him.

"Bart says she was accosted by a man while she was on her way home. He seemed to have some kind of power as he took off with her at a considerable speed. Bart followed them to an abandoned military base."

"Which one?" Clark asked.

"Fort Addelson."

Clark nodded. "I know where that is," he said. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Wait," Oliver said. "Need any help?"

"No. Thanks. I got this one."

Clark took off into the air, flying over the city toward the south. Fort Addelson had been abandoned for years and it seemed odd to him why the man who had kidnapped Lois had taken her there.

Bart greeted him when he arrived.

"I haven't heard Lois," he said. "But the guy seems kinda out of it. He keeps mumbling to himself about completing a mission."

"Okay, thanks Bart."

Clark moved in carefully, x-raying through the wall. Lois seemed to be knocked out, but judging from the way she was moving, she was coming to. He was preparing to break down the wall to get to her when she sat up, looking around.

"Wes?" she said after a few moments.

The man shook his head. His tone was oddly stilted when he spoke, almost as if he was a robot.

"Designation incorrect. Call sign 'Ares'. Prototype Mark IV."

Lois canted her head as Clark watched.

"You don't remember me, do you? It's Lois ... Lois Lane. My father is General Sam Lane. When I was a kid he used to drag me around to all the bases he was stationed at. One of them was Fort Addelson, where I met you." She got off the box or whatever it was she'd been lying on and approached Wes, who seemed to shy away from her. She lifted her hand to touch his face.

"Do you remember how you got that scar?" she was saying. "You used to tell everybody that you got it falling off your dirt bike. But that's not how it happened. We got into the General's whiskey. Then we broke into the storage warehouse. We were wrestling around, being stupid. And I kissed you ... the first time I ever kissed anybody. And then you puked and passed out and cracked your head open on the floor."

"Mission incomplete," Wes said hesitantly. He reached out to her and Clark feared Wes was going to strangle her. He started to move.

"Eliminate target."

Lois pulled away. "Think, Wes! This is Fort Addelson, okay? This is the warehouse. This is where I kissed you that night. Remember!"

But just as it seemed she was getting through to him, his whole demeanour changed.

"Run!" he said.

Lois ran, clearly looking for some kind of escape. Clark burst into the room, ready to do battle with the man. He grabbed his girlfriend and sped her out of sight of the other man.

"Stay here," he whispered. She nodded, looking pale.

Clark returned. Wes was looking around, confusion evident in his expression. Then he saw Clark and scowled, aiming a punch at him. Clark was unprepared for the strength of the punch and went flying. When he managed to get to his feet again, it looked like Wes was gone. He looked around, changing to his x-ray vision. There was a skeleton heading right toward where Lois was hiding.

Moving into superspeed, Clark pursued the man, grabbing him and throwing him up against the wall. Wes retaliated with a hard shove which had Clark reeling, knocking out part of the wall and sending the roof crashing down on him.

"No!" Lois cried out, but Clark wasn't sure who she was screaming for. "Wes, please, don't hurt him."

As the other man came at him again, Clark knew he had no choice. He fired off a burst of heat vision which sent the other man flying backwards. He fell on his back, hitting his head and didn't move again.

Lois ran to him. "Clark! Oh my god, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. We better check on him."

He led her to the fallen man and she knelt down beside him.

"Software failure," he choked out as he looked at her. "Lois ... sorry, I ..."

"Wes, no, just hang on. We'll get you some help, okay?"

"Too late. Better ... better this way." He closed his eyes and was still.

Clark put a comforting hand on Lois' shoulder as she looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, helping her up.

"I thought he was dead," she told him as he put his arms around her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Wes Keenan supposedly died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Two years ago. That wasn't Wes," she added. "I mean it was, but it ... wasn't."

"It's okay, Lois. We'll figure it out. Come on, we better call J'onn so he can get this squared away."

He didn't get to make the special dinner for her in the end. It was an hour before J'onn was satisfied with what had happened and he had promised to give them any results of the autopsy. Clark ordered take-out from a restaurant a couple of blocks from his apartment and they all sat around the table talking as they ate. Well, he and Maddie ate, but Lois picked at her food.

Clark nudged her gently.

"You need to eat something," he said.

"I'm not hungry," she told him, shaking her head. "I just don't ... I don't understand."

"I heard him saying something about designation Ares," Clark told her. "Do you have any idea what that meant?"

"No."

Maddie frowned. "When they had me in that place, I heard them talking about some kind of project. I think it might have been Ares."

Clark sighed. Great. Another one of Lionel's experiments with 33.1. If the Wes Keenan that Lois knew had supposedly died, then it looked like he'd been used in some experiments to do with meteor mutations.

There were only two possibilities for why Wes had taken Lois. One, he'd been sent by Lucas to kill Lois before she could testify against him, or it could have been Jamison. Or there was perhaps a third possibility, he thought. Jamison was working for Lucas.

"Lois," he said, "would it make you feel better if we went out and did some investigating? Try and find out who was controlling Wes?"

She looked up at him, her eyes bright. Then she nodded.

"Good," he said. "Eat your dinner. Then we're going back to Dr Jamison's."

"Why him?"

"Because it's too much of a coincidence that the very day we go to talk to him about Lionel that Wes comes after you."

"You know there's no such thing as coincidence," Maddie told him. "Gibbs says so."

Clark frowned at her. Gibbs?

"Don't you watch NCIS? My grandma used to love that show. I mean, it's been a couple of years since I've seen a lot of the episodes, but it was on tv last night. Lena and I watched it."

Clark groaned. "I thought her watching The Simpsons was bad enough. And what is she doing watching an adult show anyway?"

Maddie shrugged. "She seemed okay with it."

"The kid's had nightmares lately as it is," he sighed.

Maddie began to protest but shut up when Lois sent her a look. Clark snickered, watching as Lois cleared her plate, then practically jumped up from the table to rinse her dishes in the sink and put them in the dishwasher.

Within a half hour, they were back at Donovan Jamison's address. Lois looked at him.

"Are you going to break the lock?" she said in a loud whisper.

"Better not. Too noisy," he added at her look.

"Well then, how are we going to get in?" she asked.

"The old fashioned way," he answered. "I noticed he doesn't have a chain on the door. No deadlocks either."

"In this neighbourhood?" she asked. "He's either stupid or extremely lucky."

"Well, we both know he's not stupid," Clark told her, taking out his wallet. He took a plastic customer loyalty card from one of the pockets and slid it in the door jamb. The lock clicked and he opened the door, letting her inside.

Handing her a small flashlight, he let her begin looking in the large filing cabinet while he began looking for Jamison's computer. If he had one. Bingo! he thought as he x-rayed into the next room. The good doctor had a laptop hidden in the drawer of another cabinet.

"Keep looking," he whispered, telling her he was going to go into the other room.

He quickly checked to make sure Jamison was nowhere around. He was either out or in another part of the apartment/laboratory. Clark located the laptop and switched it on, accessing the computer's main drive, bypassing the security measures the scientist had set up. Taking a flash drive out of his pocket, he plugged it in and sent files to the drive.

"Come on, come on," he whispered impatiently as the files were slowly copied.

He heard voices in the next room and realised Jamison had come in and found Lois.

"Breaking and entering, Miss Lane? I should call the police."

"Go ahead," she dared him. "And I'll just tell them how you tried to kill me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Lane," he said.

Clark glanced at the screen. Finally the files had finished being copied over.

"Don't you?" Lois was saying. "Are you telling me it wasn't you who sent Wes Keenan to kill me?"

"This is preposterous!" the man bleated, but Clark could hear the worry in his voice.

"Is it?" Lois answered. "What exactly are you trying to hide, doctor? The fact that you were part of immoral and unethical experiments on human beings or that you're working for a murderer? Did Lucas tell you to send Wes?"

"I had no idea you were given to such flights of fancy, Miss Lane," the man scoffed.

Clark had just about had enough. He left the room, deliberately making enough noise so Jamison would be distracted.

"So, both you and Miss Lane breaking into my apartment? I am sure Mr Luthor will be extremely disappointed that his star reporter and ... you know, I never did catch your name."

"It's Luthor," Clark smirked. "Clark Luthor."

The scientist's eyes widened. "Well, I ..." He still tried to look self-important. "I will still be talking to Mr Luthor in the morning," he said.

"Go ahead," Clark told him. "We both know you have far too much to lose anyway if you report this."

"If you print any of your preposterous theory in the Daily Planet, I will sue you and your paper."

They were empty threats and they all knew it. Jamison had lost, but he was still trying to talk his way out of it.

"Come on, Lois," Clark said. "Let's get out of here."

Lois looked at him as they stood out on the pavement.

"You know he's going to destroy his files," she said.

"Probably. But hopefully I managed to get something from his computer."

Bruce was still at Watchtower when they went in to download from the flash drive.

"I figured you'd have gone back to Gotham by now," Clark said.

"I thought I'd stick around for a day or so. What's on that?" he asked as Clark plugged in the flash drive.

"Hopefully something about Project Ares."

Bruce tapped on the keyboard and began searching through the files. It only took a few minutes to bring up the project.

"It looks like Lionel, and then Lucas, was working on a way to transfer powers from one meteor mutant to another," Bruce mused. "It involves taking genetic materials from each one and mixing them ..."

"Into one big genetic soup," Lois answered.

Clark grinned. Well, that was one way of putting it. He read through the file.

"It looks like Wes was one of those volunteered to be a prototype for a new kind of super soldier."

"Gives new meaning to the phrase Be All You Can Be," Lois commented. "Poor Wes."

"I suppose Jamison thought he was killing two birds with one stone," Clark answered. "Trying to kill a potential witness in Lucas' trial and hiding the truth about Lionel's transplant."

"It certainly looks like it," Bruce said. "And these files prove Jamison was working for Lucas the last couple of years."

"Which means he's responsible for what happened to Maddie," Lois said softly. "Using a minor ..."

"There's something else you should see," Bruce said, still reading the files. "Look who it says was backing Project Ares."

Clark read the entry Bruce was referring to. Slade Wilson.


	51. Agenda

Chapter Fifty-One

Perry was in Lex's office by the time they got in the next morning. Lex had left Clark a message saying he wanted to see them both asap. Lois had a feeling she knew what this was about.

Lex looked at them as they came in.

"Dr Jamison has filed a complaint," he said.

"He can complain all he likes," Clark answered, "but he hasn't a leg to stand on and he knows it. The files we downloaded last night prove he was working for Lionel, and then Lucas."

"Files which were illegally obtained," Perry answered. "Look, kids, I get where you're coming from, but we're not the law. You can't just go breaking into someone's office and ..."

"It's not like I haven't done it before," Lois muttered.

Perry grinned briefly, but his expression became sober once more. "I know you have, honey, but that's not the point. You can only get away with it so many times."

Clark looked at his brother and their editor in protest.

"Come on, the guy's just blustering. He knows he's caught and he's just trying to fight back. Besides, we're turning over all that evidence to John Jones."

"And what if Jamison has destroyed his files?" Lex asked.

"There are ways to retrieve them," Clark pointed out. "I talked to John this morning and he thinks there's enough evidence to get a warrant."

He went on to explain that Jones was going to contact them as soon as the pathologist had done the autopsy on Wes Keenan.

Lex nodded. "All right. Now what's this about Slade?"

Lois listened as Clark told his brother what they'd found on Project Ares. She had yet to start digging into Slade's background, having been occupied the day before trying to get the information on Jamison. She was still curious about Slade's motives. She knew he wanted to control the so-called 'vigilantes' and make them virtually the government's puppets, but it had to be more than that.

As soon as she was in her office, Lois called in Jimmy.

"Uh, Miss Lane?" he said, blushing.

"I want you to dig up everything you can on Slade Wilson. Chop, chop!"

"Uh, Miss Lane, I'm a photographer ..."

It was so cute the way the kid was blushing. Lois grinned. Jimmy Olsen was definitely very green. He'd been hired as a gopher as much as a photographer, from what she'd heard.

"In training. And last I heard, research was part of your job description. Snap to it."

Clark came in, having stayed behind to talk to his brother. He'd clearly caught a little of her giving orders to Jimmy.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Just peachy."

"Lois, it's me. You don't have to pretend with me."

She sighed. "Where do you want me to start? Wes was my friend and now ..."

"Not ... boyfriend?" Clark asked.

"Jealous?" she said with a weak smile.

"You were just a kid."

"Your point being?"

He shook his head and sighed, clearly not wanting to get into any kind of argument. But she could see he was concerned. Probably with good reason. Wes had been her friend and now he was gone. It hurt. And it made her angry that he had been used in this way. Sure, she knew that when people joined the military they were practically signing their lives over to the government. But to be used as a lab rat for experiments with Kryptonite and genetic modification was just wrong.

She mused over what had happened.

"I didn't mean to kill him," Clark said softly. "I just thought I could stop him."

She frowned at him. "What?"

"When I used my heat vision, I ..."

"Clark, how can you even think ... no, you saw the file last night. Wes had some kind of program malfunction. You heard what he said."

"And who's to say that my heat vision didn't cause the malfunction?"

"Honey, stop," she said. "I asked Bruce for a copy of the file and I read it over last night. The programming wasn't perfect. Wes was just a prototype. I think the fact that he was conflicted was the thing that set off the malfunction, not your heat vision. It's like ... it's like when you give a computer a bad command. The computer crashes. That's what happened to Wes. Okay?"

Clark bit his lip, then nodded. But he still didn't seem convinced. Lois realised there was only one other way to deal with this.

"Come on," she said, grabbing her jacket.

"Where are we going?"

"To see a man about a body." J'onn had called just before Clark came in.

John Jones greeted them as they were ushered into his office at the police precinct.

"That didn't take long," he smiled. "I have the autopsy results here," he added, holding up a sheaf of papers. "Wes Keenan's death was attributed to a system-wide shutdown."

"You make it sound like he was a computer," Clark said.

Jones shrugged. "You should have seen the hardware inside him. Even the pathologist couldn't believe it. We've had to put extra security on the evidence lockup."

"Do you think Lucas might have sent someone to try and take the evidence?" Lois asked, knowing it was a very real possibility.

"We are certainly not taking any chances," J'onn told her. He glanced down at the papers on his desk. "This morning we also executed a warrant on Dr Jamison's place. You were right. He had done his level best to get rid of evidence. We have his computer now and one of our techs is looking it over. And Chloe was right too. He was looking to sell his prototype formula to the highest bidder. It appears that when Lucas was arrested, Jamison decided it was every man for himself."

"I bet Lucas wouldn't have been happy about that," Clark commented.

Lois had to agree with him. It seemed there was no honour among thieves, or whatever they were. And if she knew Lucas like she thought she did, he wasn't going to let this slide. Jamison would need to watch his back.

Jimmy was waiting for them when they got back to the office.

"I found that information about Slade," he said, looking almost like an eager puppy wanting a treat because he'd rolled over or something. Lois took the file from him.

"Thanks," she said, fighting the urge to pat him on the head.

Jimmy pouted, but did as he was told.

Lois began looking through the pages, but it was fairly clear it was going to take a while. There were at least a hundred pages, she sighed.

"Here, give me some of that," Clark said.

She watched in fascination as he took most of the pages and began flicking through them, his eyes moving back and forth. He was reading at top speed, and clearly not skimming either, she thought.

"Well," he said, when he put down the pages. "I think I know why Slade hates vigilantes."

"Oh?"

"There was a guy about thirty years ago. He apparently had the power to freeze things. He was robbing a bank when the Justice Society guys stepped in and tried to stop him. Slade's wife and son were in the bank and this ... Icicle ... turned on them. Froze them to death."

"And Slade blamed the Justice Society."

Clark put one of the papers down on the desk.

"It was that same incident that got Carter's wife killed. Sent him off the deep end. He went after Joar Mahkent and put him in a coma."

"Mahkent?" Lois frowned at him. That name sounded familiar.

"What is it, Lois?" he asked.

She sat down at her computer and accessed her files. A couple of years ago she had been working on a story about a series of mysterious murders in the city.

"I was investigating this story," she said. "A guy named Sylvester Pemberton was murdered by ... get this ... a man who could control ice. They found ice in his wounds. Two days after Pemberton, another man, Wesley Dodds, was murdered. Same MO." She looked up at him. "Anyway, I did some more digging and I found out Pemberton and Dodds were both arrested on criminal charges, but the evidence somehow mysteriously disappeared and they were let go. There were others too."

Clark nodded. "Pemberton and Dodds were members of the Justice Society. Carter says they were framed by a covert government agency looking to recruit them."

"Yeah, I knew that. But I was never sure why."

"Because they refused. There was a woman, Amanda Waller. She was one of the junior agents at the time sent to recruit them. What does this have to do with Joar Mahkent?"

"Well, it doesn't. It has everything to do with Cameron Mahkent. Joar's son."

Clark read through the notes she had gathered on her story.

"So Cameron was looking for a little payback?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, I met with someone. Perry would call them Deep Throat, or some silly codename like that."

Clark grinned. "Well, Deep Throat was the guy who broke the story to Woodward and Bernstein on the Watergate scandal."

"Cute. Can I finish?"

"Sure," he said, his grin turning into a smirk.

"Cameron was plucked from juvie, by someone very high up. The records were sealed. Anyway, my guy, or girl, as it turns out, told me that Cameron was hand-picked for this group called the Suicide Squad. And she gave me information which proved the charges against Dodds and Pemberton were totally bogus."

Clark looked thoughtful.

"So either Cameron went off-script or ..."

"What if the Suicide Squad was just another way for this agency to manipulate the Justice Society? Force them out into the open?"

The more Lois thought about it, the more it made sense.

"It still doesn't connect it to Slade though."

"No. But it does explain his agenda. I mean, a, the guy's looking for some payback of his own on the Justice Society. And, b, you control the message, you control them. Or you, as the case may be."

The phone rang and Lois picked it up.

"It's Jones," the voice on the other end said. "Our tech managed to piece together some evidence from Jamison's computer."

"What did he find?" Lois asked.

"Lucas and Slade Wilson did a deal about six months ago."

Jone went on to explain that Lucas would be financed by the military to study meteor mutants and use the research to create an army of genetically-engineered super-human soldiers. His fledgling company would also be awarded the contract for any military weapons Slade wanted developed.

"Is it enough to prove any wrongdoing?" she asked, glancing at Clark, who appeared to be listening intently to the conversation.

"You still need to place Slade at the scene. Can young Maddie identify him?"

"We haven't asked," Lois said.

She frowned. Clark seemed to be listening to something that was outside the office.

"Clark?" she said.

Without a word, he raced out. Lois finished her conversation with Jones and put down the phone, frowning at the doorway. She loved Clark, but his speedy comings and goings drove her crazy.

While he was gone, she spent the rest of the afternoon calling all her contacts. But no one seemed to know anything about an army of meteor mutants or any facility known as 33.1. An hour later, Clark still hadn't returned and she was getting concerned.

"Damn it," she said, glancing at her watch, then growled to herself.

Lois had never been one to stand by and allow things to just happen. She had been a strong believer in making things happen. And she'd always been the one person who would go out and get the story, no matter what the risk. But since she'd met Clark, all that had changed. She understood that he was protective of her. He cared about her. But she had been a reporter long before he had come along and she wasn't about to let her feelings or her misgivings get in the way of a good investigation.

Since Clark and Maddie had both mentioned the facility where Lucas and his crew had been studying meteor mutants, Lois decided that was a good place to start. Maybe she would find something. Maybe she would find nothing. But she had to take the chance.

Grabbing her purse, Lois went out, hailing a taxi and giving the driver the address of the warehouse. Twenty minutes later she watched as the taxi drove off and turned to the chain link fence.

"Why do there always have to be eight foot high fences?" she sighed.

Pulling the long strap of her bag over her shoulder, Lois began to scale the fence, lifting her leg carefully over the barbed wire at the top and climbing down again. For once she had been wearing sensible shoes, rather than the high heels she always favoured. At five eight, she wasn't short by any means, but Clark was six three and had the kind of build that made him look taller than he was and that meant he towered over her, even when she was in high heels.

Jumping down from the fence, Lois walked toward the main door of the warehouse. She saw the hole in the door where Batman had obviously smashed his way in. She opened the door, hearing the creak of the hinges, and slowly walked through. The warehouse was dark.

"Good one, Lois. Go out on recon and forget to bring a flashlight."

Hit by inspiration, Lois took her phone from her bag and opened it up, accessing the app which would give her a little light. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, she decided.

She followed along a corridor, seeing the door where Clark had been obviously kept prisoner. There seemed to be evidence of some sort of scuffle. She continued on, moving down a flight of stairs, passing rooms which appeared to be cells. There were beds, which reminded her a lot of the cots in the army barracks or in prison cells. Biting her lip, she kept on walking, wondering how a kid like Maddie could stay sane in a place like this.

There was a squeak behind her and Lois turned, startled. The light from her phone caught something skittering along the floor, as close to the wall as whatever it was could possibly get.

"Rats," she thought, screwing up her nose and shuddering. Lois wasn't scared of most things but she'd always hated rats.

There was another sound, this time of something falling, and Lois turned again.

"Who's there?" she called out. There was no answer. "Lois Lane. Daily Planet. I know you're there."

"Stay away," the voice growled.

"Wait. I just want to talk."

Out of nowhere came bolts of electricity. With a gasp, Lois tried to move out of range but she knew she wasn't going to be fast enough. Suddenly, something pushed her out of the way and the bolts hit the wall instead.

Lois landed in a heap on the floor, groaning at the impact, knowing she was going to have serious bruises. She looked around at her rescuer, surprised to see that it was Carter Hall, in full Hawkman costume.

"Stay down," he told her.

Lois did as she was told, listening as the sounds of static filled the air, then there were clashes of metal against stone and yelps of pain. Sitting up, she could see little in the darkness except for the occasional 'lightning bolts'. Then all was quiet.

Peering in the gloom, trying to get her eyes accustomed to the lack of light, Lois got up hastily as footsteps approached her. It sounded like someone was being pushed in front of someone else.

"Come on," Carter rasped as he passed her.

Lois walked quickly, trying to keep up with him as they headed back out of the facility. When they were out in the light, she gasped at Carter's 'companion'. It was a woman with very white skin and blue hair.

"What? Who ..."

"Livewire. I'm called Livewire," the woman said.

"What were you doing there?" Lois asked.

"What do you care?"

Lois stared at the woman. "Wait, I know you. You're that shock jock that got hit by lightning at that concert in Centennial Park a couple of years ago."

Lois remembered it. Lesley Willis had been a radio show host who had been known for her controversial views. When the Blur had first appeared on the scene, she had been spiteful in her vitriol. She had decided to host a concert in the park and had refused to cancel even when a lightning storm had been brewing.

"So?" the woman said bitterly.

"What were you doing here?" Lois asked.

Livewire didn't answer, turning away from her. Carter shook her.

"I believe you were asked a question."

"I was living here."

"Were you a prisoner here?" Lois asked softly.

The other woman looked at her steadily for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"They were doing experiments on us. Then about a week or so ago they told us we could leave. I had nowhere else to go."

Lois had never liked the woman, but she felt sorry for her.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Gone."

Lois looked at Carter, who was glaring down at the other woman.

"We need to get her some help," Lois said softly.

"She tried to kill you, Lois," Carter told her.

"I know, but ..."

Carter sighed and shook his head. Lois huffed. Her father had once told her her compassion and sense of empathy would get her into trouble one day. But she didn't care. No one deserved to be the subject of experiments, especially not by someone like Lionel Luthor, or Lucas.

"All right," he agreed. "We'll take care of it."

"We?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

To her surprise, Carter almost seemed to be blushing. The exposed skin beneath the mask he wore, that which wasn't covered by his stubble, had a definite tinge of pink.

"Uh, Hawkman, how did you even come to be here?"

"I was in the neighbourhood," he told her shortly.

Lois let it slide, but only long enough for J'onn J'onzz to turn up and take Livewire into his custody. Lois knew there was no way Livewire could hurt the Martian Manhunter.

"What took you so long?" Carter growled.

"Apologies, Hawkman. It appears someone tried to steal some evidence from the lockup." He glanced meaningfully at Lois, who realised exactly what evidence he meant. "Thanks to the Blur, however, we managed not only to secure it, but also to get a few answers."

So that was where Clark had got to, she thought.

She waited until J'onn had left before she turned to Carter.

"All right, spill," she said.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Did he tell you to keep an eye on me?"

"Miss Lane ..."

"Don't you Miss Lane me! Don't you dare! Tell me he didn't ask you to keep an eye on me."

"I owed him a favour," was all Carter said.

He was going to be so dead when she got hold of him!

Carter offered to fly her back to the Daily Planet but she declined the offer. Carter shrugged and took off, while Lois called a cab. She sat in the back the entire journey, quietly seething.

Clark was in the office, typing up something on the computer, when she walked in.

"Luthor!" she growled.

Clark looked up with a 'what have I done now?' expression on his face.

"What's up, Lois?" he asked casually.

"What's up? What's up? You can just sit there calmly and ask me what's up when you, when I ... ooh, I hate you! I really hate you!"

He frowned. "Lois, you're not making any sense."

"You ... you ... Carter ... and God knows how many more of your super-friends."

"Lois, calm down. You're shouting."

She so wanted to beat him about the head with a block of Kryptonite or something. The man was impossible. And clearly totally unrepentant. He knew what he'd done; he just wanted her to spell it out for him. She was already so mad she knew she wouldn't make any sense.

Lois sat down on the other side of the desk, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Then she glared at him.

"You sent Carter after me," she said.

"I didn't," he said, shaking his head in denial.

"You're such a liar!"

"I told you, Lois, I don't lie." He sighed. "Look, I admit I asked some of the guys to keep an eye on you, but I did not send Carter after you. I realised when I got back where you'd gone but I didn't ask him to go."

"So all this time you've had them following me?"

"Well, I ..." Clark looked away from her scrutiny. "I did it for your protection. And after last night, well, clearly you need protecting."

"Hey, I didn't go looking for trouble when Wes kidnapped me. And I wasn't looking for trouble today."

"No, trouble just seems to find you," Clark sighed.

"I hate it when you do that," she said. "You always walk on eggshells and you're way, way over-protective."

"No," he denied. "If I was over-protective, I would be the one standing guard over you."

"Semantics," she said, waving her hand. "That doesn't change the fact that you think I need bodyguards."

Clark got up and sat on the corner of the desk beside her.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay. The thing is, Lois, I care about you. More than I ever thought it was possible to care about anyone. And maybe I am being over-protective boyfriend, but I just ..." He sighed again. "Do you know what it would have done to me if Wes had killed you last night? You're the first woman I've ever felt this way about and it would kill me if I lost you. Can you at least see this from my perspective? I mean, I've tried to give you your space and not listen in, even though I've been so tempted and I thought asking the guys to keep an eye out and patrol your place once in a while would be the best solution."

Lois bit her lip. She had begun to realise during Clark's heartfelt speech that this was about more than protection. More than his feelings. She was the first woman he'd ever opened himself up to; allowed himself to be so vulnerable with. It was about more than his fear of losing her. His feelings for her were so new, so ... alien that he was terrified!

Without a word, she got up and put her arms around his neck, kissing him gently.

"I love you too," she said softly. "And I'm sorry I overreacted."

"Oliver warned me you might not take it so well," he said, looking a little ashamed.

"Well, I know why you did it," she said, shaking him. "But from now on, you have to promise me that you'll let me do things my own way. You can't be everywhere, Clark, and you can't always be there to protect me. I don't expect you to be at my beck and call just because you have these amazing abilities. And I don't expect anyone else to be, either. And I promise that I will try my utmost to keep out of trouble. Deal?"

He smiled. "Deal."


	52. Concussion

Chapter Fifty-Two

Clark should have known that Lois wouldn't be able to stay out of trouble for long. Despite the deal they'd made just over a week ago, Lois had once again gone out alone on a story and ended up needing the Blur's help.

It didn't matter that the story had been something completely unrelated to the one they were working on about Slade's involvement with Project Ares.

Clark shook his head and sighed as he sat in the waiting room in the emergency department of Metropolis General. Lois had been following up on the story she'd done weeks ago about the former mayor's dirty dealings, discovering it had gone further than the mayor's office and for her trouble had got herself thrown off a building.

He glanced at the clock. What was taking so long, he wondered. When he'd managed to get to Lois, she had been knocked out, having hit her head on the way down. He'd immediately brought her in, not even stopping to explain to the doctors, just trusting them to do their job.

"Mr Luthor?"

Clark looked up, frowning at the uniformed officer.

"Yes?"

"I'm Officer Dan Turpin. Can you tell me what happened to Miss Lane?"

"She was out on a story. Meeting one of her contacts, I believe. I was supposed to go with her, but I was caught up on something else." Well, actually, he'd been foiling a bank robbery across town. Hmm.

"I see. Does Lois do this a lot?"

"Meet contacts alone or get thrown off buildings?" Clark smirked.

The blonde man smirked back. "Both. She certainly has a reputation for getting into dangerous situations."

"Yeah. But then she wouldn't be Lois if she wasn't."

"You sound like you know her pretty well."

"I'm not just her partner at work," he said.

Turpin nodded. "Yeah, I heard rumours you two were dating." Clark looked at him and the officer shrugged. "What? I'm a cop. We hear things. Besides, one of my colleagues had been wanting to ask her out."

"Over my dead body," Clark murmured.

Tupin laughed, then sobered as he looked down at his notebook.

"So, uh, the docs said you brought her in?"

"Yeah, uh, the Blur saved her and tracked me down."

"Why didn't the Blur bring her in himself?"

Shoot, he hadn't thought of that. He really needed to talk to Jor-El now.

"Well, you know, he doesn't like the limelight."

Turpin sent him an odd look and Clark mentally kicked himself. Lame, Luthor. Really lame. He used to be better at this.

The officer looked up as his partner approached, then stood up.

"Well, looks like they're done with Lois," he said. "I'll call Miss Lane tomorrow so I can get her side of the story. Thanks for your time, Mr Luthor."

Lois was walking down the hallway, looking a little unsteady. She had a small bandage on her forehead. Clark went to her, seeing the glazed look in her eyes.

"Miss Lane?"

Clark looked at the doctor who had come after her. He recognised him as a doctor who worked occasionally for Oliver.

"Dr Hamilton?"

The man smiled. "Emil. It's been a while, Clark."

He nodded. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"Don't leave her alone. I would have preferred she stay overnight but Lois insisted she was fine and wanted to leave." Emil sighed and grinned as if he knew just how stubborn Lois was.

"Don't worry, doc," he said, taking his girlfriend's arm. "I'll make her stay at my place tonight."

Emil nodded, handing Clark a small bottle of painkillers. "Wake her up every couple of hours and if she gets worse, bring her back in."

Lois still looked a little dazed, but she scowled at him.

"I'm fine. It's just a little bump on the noggin."

"I'm still taking you home with me."

Lois grinned suddenly.

"So you can have your wicked way with me?" she said.

"No. So I can keep an eye on you. What happened to that deal we made last week?" he added, but Lois wasn't listening. She was watching Officer Turpin with his partner.

"What is it?" Clark asked, puzzled at the way she was frowning at the officer.

"Uh, nothing. Let's just go."

Clearly something had disturbed her, but Clark let it go, supporting her as they walked out to the parking lot. He'd zipped back to the Planet and driven back in his Bronco, knowing it would be a little while before they would have finished examining Lois.

He helped her into the passenger seat and got in the other side.

"You want to tell me what that was all about?" he asked as he drove out of the lot.

Lois didn't answer him. He glanced beside him. Whatever they had given her for the pain had already knocked her flat and she was asleep. He hesitated, wondering if she should have left the hospital at all, but he figured the best thing to do was just take her home.

He called Oliver on his cellphone.

"Hey, it's me. Listen, can you cover patrol for me tonight?"

"Sure. Everything okay?"

"Lois got hurt on a story. She's fine. A little concussed, I guess, but I want to stay with her and make sure she's all right."

"No problem. Lex called, by the way. He couldn't reach you on your cell, so he called me instead, asking where you were."

"Yeah, thanks, I'll give him a call when I get home. We just left the hospital."

Lois was still dozing when he drove into the parking area. Clark got out and went around to the other side, opening the door and lifting her in his arms. Lois murmured something but didn't wake. Clark locked the car and carried her to the lift.

Maddie stared wide-eyed as he carried Lois into the apartment.

"What happened?"

"She got tossed off a building," Clark told his ward. "Listen, get the door for me, okay?"

"Sure."

Maddie closed the door and followed him into the bedroom where he laid Lois down on the bed, pulling back the covers.

"Need any help?" she asked.

"No. I got this," he said, taking Lois' shoes and stockings off, then manoeuvring her so he could strip the rest of her clothes off, leaving only her underwear.

He looked down at his sleeping girlfriend, cursing himself for not having got there fast enough. He still had cause to wonder if it had all been deliberately planned. Him distracted with the armed robbery on the other side of town and Lois meeting her 'contact'. It looked to him like Lois had been set up. Or maybe it was the Blur who had been set up.

Leaving her to sleep, Clark crept out, closing the door gently. He went out to the living room where Maddie was working on her studies. She had decided to study for her GED rather than go back to high school and Clark had been tutoring her in some subjects, while Lex had volunteered to tutor her in others. Especially in history and physics.

"She okay?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah. She just needs to sleep, I think. You need anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. It's just English Lit."

Clark nodded and went into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice. The door to the apartment opened and Lena came bounding in.

"Uncle Clark!" she greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hey squirt," he said, reaching for her as she practically threw herself into his arms.

Lex had followed her in.

"Why don't you answer your phone?" he said in irritation.

"Sorry, Lex. I was at the hospital with Lois and I had to keep the phone off."

Lena looked at him. "The hospital? Is Aunt Lois okay?"

"She's fine, sweetie," he said, shushing her. "She just got a little bump on the head. She's sleeping in my room right now."

Lex looked worried. "What happened?"

Clark glanced at his niece, then persuaded her to go into the living room and talk to Maddie. His brother handed his daughter the small cat carrier and Lena took Minnie into the other room.

Clark turned back to Lex.

"I don't know. Lois got a call to meet a contact, or so she said in the message she left me and from what it looks like, it was a set-up. They threw her off the roof of the MetroCom building. She must have hit her head while she was falling."

"Well, thank goodness you were there to catch her," Lex said.

"I almost wasn't," Clark replied. "There was an incident on the other side of town. I was lucky I was able to deal with that quickly."

"You think she was set up or you were?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "So, looks like I'm babysitting tonight?"

He'd almost forgotten that Lex was going out with Mayson again. The dinner date they'd had last weekend had been a great success and his brother was looking forward to going out with the attractive D.A. again.

"I managed to get tickets to a show," Lex said. "I know it's last minute, but you didn't say whether you had plans with Lois and ..."

"Lex, relax. You know I don't mind having her here. I'm thrilled you're getting along so well with Mayson. It was about time you got back out there."

Lex sighed. "Yeah. I don't know if there is anything, you know, permanent, but I like her. She's easy to talk to and she doesn't seem to have a problem with the Luthor name. Or anything else that comes with it."

"Lex, you're a good guy and any woman who doesn't see that doesn't deserve you."

"Coming from you, little brother, that means a lot."

The hall door opened and Lois came out, dressed in Clark's robe. She was leaning wearily on the door. Lena sprang up from the floor where she had been playing with the kitten and ran to hug Lois enthusiastically.

"Lena," Clark called. "Easy. Lois isn't feeling her best."

Lois lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Quit being such a mother hen, Luthor. I'm fine."

"Sue me," he said.

Lex glanced at his watch. "I better go meet Mayson. Lena ..."

His daughter came over and hugged him.

"Have a good time, Dad," she said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be good."

"I'm sure you will be," he laughed. "I'll be by in the morning to pick you up."

"'Night Lex," Clark said. "Have fun."

He chuckled lightly as Lex sent him a look, then left the apartment. Lois sat down at the table, looking tired.

"Sorry I dozed off on you in the car," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "You probably needed it. How's your head?"

"It's okay, for the moment. Although I'm sure it'll hurt more later."

Lena returned with the kitten, moving to sit in Lois' lap.

"Lena," Clark warned.

"Clark, she's fine," Lois told him, holding up her hand. "If she wants to sit in my lap, she can sit in my lap."

"She's a little big to be babied."

Lois just looked at him. Clark sighed. Obviously Lena was worried about her aunt, but the little girl still had to learn that there were times when she needed to give Lois some space.

"So, what are you hungry for?" he asked, deciding it was better to leave well enough alone.

"I don't know. I'm not that hungry."

"Why don't I heat up some soup and make you some toast," he suggested. "I can make a stir fry for Lena and Maddie and I at the same time."

"That sounds ok," she said, not sounding very enthusiastic at all.

"Can I have some chips, Uncle Clark?"

"It's may I, and no. I don't want you to spoil your dinner."

"But you let me have chips all the time," Lena pouted.

"Lena, I thought you promised your dad you'd be good."

"I'm always good."

"Good. So you don't need any chips before dinner."

Lena grumbled and Lois snickered.

"Lena, if there's one thing I've learned very quickly, it's don't try to out-manoeuvre your uncle."

"I know. He's tricky."

The kitten mewed in Lena's hands and began to squirm. Lena let her go and Minnie jumped up onto the table.

"Lena, pets don't belong on the table."

Lois leaned forward and whispered in Lena's ear. The seven-year-old nodded and picked up the kitten, putting her down on the floor.

"Sorry," she said, looking up at her uncle.

"That's okay," he answered. "Honey, why don't you go play with her in the living room. I need to talk to your aunt."

"About what?"

"Grown-up stuff. Scoot, kid!"

Lena sighed, but hopped down and went out. Lois watched him as he started to cut up some meat for the stir-fry.

"You were a little hard on her, don't you think?"

"No. It's called boundaries, Lois. Besides, we really do need to talk about what happened."

"Are you going to go off all over-protective again?"

"No," he said, putting the meat in the wok to brown. "We had a deal, Lois. I mean, I don't think you set out to get yourself thrown off a building, but I do think there's something else going on. I need to know what happened."

"Okay, you're right. I did get a call from a contact. I didn't know he'd set me up for some kind of rendezvous with the bad guys. All I remember is, I went to meet him and got hit on the head. Right before I blacked out, I saw a couple of them." She looked steadily at him. "I think one of them was one of the cops at the hospital. I can't be sure though. It's all kind of fuzzy."

"What was the lead you were working on?"

"Well, remember a couple of weeks ago I was chasing that story about corruption at City Hall?"

He nodded.

"I've heard that there are a few cops in on it as well. Like some of them are taking bribes to look the other way." She sighed again. "Clark, if you hadn't been needed elsewhere, I would never have gone alone. I swear to you, I wouldn't. But he insisted I meet him at that exact time."

"I get that, honey," he answered. "That just makes me think even more that either you or the Blur was set up. They knew if the Blur was distracted, that he wouldn't get there in time to save you. It was a good thing they underestimated him."

Lois frowned. "Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?"

Clark hesitated. "I was? Oh, yeah, I guess I was. Sometimes it's easier to think of Clark Luthor and the Blur as two different people."

"It's kind of unnerving," she said. "But I get it. Have you heard from Bruce?"

Clark shook his head. "I'm sure he would have called if he'd managed to track down Slade."

Slade had somehow managed to slip off the radar since the press conference calling for a government commission into the 'vigilantes'. Clark had wondered if Slade had somehow heard about Donovan Jamison's arrest and had realised his involvement in Project Ares would be uncovered sooner or later.

"Don't worry," he said, removing the browned meat from the pan and adding a little oil. He opened up a container which clearly had soup in it and poured the contents in a saucepan. "We're using all our contacts and your dad is doing his best to find him as well."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Clark. I'm worried he's going to come after one of you. You especially."

"I can take care of myself."

She rolled her eyes. "See, that's what annoys me about you sometimes. You worry about me not being able to take care of myself, yet you won't let me worry about the same thing."

"Are you saying I'm being hypocritical?" he said, tossing vegetables in the wok and giving them a stir. He sighed. Maybe she had a point. It shouldn't be one rule for her and another for him. Just because he was invulnerable to everything but Kryptonite didn't mean he shouldn't be careful.

"Judging from the look on your face, I'd say you just answered your own question," Lois said with a smile.

As Clark finished cooking the stir fry and heated up the soup, he could see that Lois was tiring. She was clearly more hurt than she had let on.

He placed the bowl of soup on the table in front of her.

"Eat as much as you can and go back to bed, okay?"

Lois looked at him as if she was going to protest, but seemed to think better of it. She picked up her spoon and began to eat the soup, which was full of chunky vegetables and meat.

"How is it?" he asked.

"Good," she said. "Really good."

"Great," he smiled. "I'm just going to tell the girls to wash up for dinner."

The girls came in quietly for dinner. Maddie smiled shyly at Lois. It wasn't that she was unsure of Lois. Clark supposed that the two years she had spent in isolation had made her a little reticent around strangers.

Lena sat beside Lois, grabbing a plateful of stir-fried meat, vegetables and noodles.

"You make the best stir-fry, Uncle Clark," she said.

"Well, thank you," he grinned, watching as she started gobbling the food. "You have somewhere else to be?" he asked.

"Huh-uh," she said, shaking her head.

"Then ease up. You don't have to inhale your food, Lena."

"But I'm hungry!" she protested.

"Lena," Lois said gently, "eat like a lady."

Lena looked at Lois solemnly, then nodded. "Okay."

Clark chuckled as Lena slowed down, chewing her food rather than gulping it down. It still amazed him how much Lena seemed to listen to Lois. It appeared that Lois had been right about Lena's needing a female influence in her life. She was brighter and more bubbly since before Lucas had kidnapped her, but also not as exuberant. It was as if having Lois in her life had calmed her a little.

Lena helped Maddie load the dishwasher after dinner while Clark made sure Lois went back to bed. He sat beside her as she settled back against the pillows.

"How's your head?"

"It's pounding," she admitted. "Stay with me?"

"Soon," he promised. "I just want to make sure the girls have something to keep them occupied."

"Maddie will look after Lena," Lois assured him. "She's good with her."

Clark nodded. Maddie and Lena had certainly seemed to have developed a fast friendship. Even if the older girl had introduced Lena to a television show that was well beyond her years, Clark thought with a grimace.

He waited until Lois had drifted off to sleep again and went back out. Maddie and Lena were watching a DVD.

"I have to do some work in the office," he said, meaning the little study he had just off the living room. "Don't have the volume too loud."

"We won't," Maddie answered.

Clark went into his study, hearing the murmurs of the girls as they watched the movie and commented on various parts. He opened up his laptop and stared at the screen for a few moments, then began to type.

An hour and much scratching of his head later, Clark was satisfied with what he had written and sent it off to Perry. The editor-in-chief called him a few minutes later.

"You sure you want to print this, son?"

"I'm sure, Perry. Is it okay?"

"It's great," the older man said. "I'd love to see the reaction."

"Yeah, me too," Clark answered. "Thanks Perry."

"How's Lois?"

"She's fine. Mostly."

"Well, look after her, kid."

It still amused him that Perry called him 'kid'. He supposed he was still very much a kid where the older man was concerned.

Clark rang off and switched off his laptop. The two girls were still deeply engrossed in the movie and paid him no attention. While it was still reasonably early, he decided to turn in.

"Goodnight girls. Don't stay up too late."

"We won't," they chorused.

Clark showered and changed into pyjama pants, getting into bed beside Lois. She came awake with a start.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"S'okay," she said. "I was missing your company anyway."

She rolled over, her arm over his chest. Clark held her close, kissing her on the forehead.

"Goodnight sweetheart," he said.

Lois snuffled and rubbed her face against him before settling down into sleep again.

Clark woke her up a few times in the night just as Emil had instructed him. Lois really didn't like being woken, but Clark felt it was better than her being in the hospital where a nurse would have done the same thing. Lois grumbled and complained but soon went back to sleep.

Next morning, Lois woke before he did, nudging him in the ribs to get him to wake up. Clark grumbled sleepily.

"Come on, lazybones," she said.

He opened one eye and looked blearily at her.

"Well, looks like you're feeling better," he said.

Lois practically jumped out of bed, full of energy, heading for the door. Clark scowled, then remembered what he had done the night before. He got out of bed, following her out into the living area of the apartment.

Maddie and Lena were already up eating cereal. Maddie looked up at him with an odd little smile. Then Clark saw the early morning edition of the Daily Planet beside her plate.

"I didn't think you read the newspaper," he commented.

"Well, this morning I made an exception. Nice one, Clark."

"What? What?" Lois asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Clark had the coffee maker on a timer, set to start brewing early in the morning.

"There's something about you in the paper, Lois," Maddie said.

Before Clark could grab the newspaper, Lois had snatched it up. She put her cup down on the counter, rifling through the pages. She stopped on one page and began reading. Clark bit his lip as he watched her face go from curious to smiling. A blush began to show on her cheeks.

"Read it out loud, Aunt Lois," Lena said, grinning at her uncle. Maddie had obviously told her.

Lois looked up at him, then nodded slowly.

"All right."

_The Truth About Men and Women by Clark Luthor_

_Have you ever had one of those moments that you know is about to change your life forever? Well, I have. I'd like to tell you about it._

_Now, you know me. I've always been the love 'em and leave 'em type of guy. I used to think nothing of it. Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with sleeping with a woman and not calling her the next day._

_A few weeks ago, I was called a misogynist, over that very same topic. I still think that person was wrong to call me a misogynist, but I have to confess something. I was wrong too._

_The truth is, we all want the same thing. To not be alone. To find the person who makes us feel as if we belong._

_It's true that having someone else in your life makes it more complicated. Suddenly there is someone who shares space at the dinner table, who steals the bedcovers, who leaves little things like their toothbrush in the bathroom. And I admit, it's a big change._

_The best thing about it though is you have someone to come home to. Someone who can make you feel better after a bad day, just by being there. Someone whose smile can make everything else disappear._

_I know what you're thinking. What could have possibly caused this sudden turnaround in a guy who had a different companion every night of the week?_

_Two words for you. No, make that three. Lois Joanne Lane._

_I want to conclude this column with this: Lois, I would get down on my knees if you asked me to, but I hope these simple words will suffice. Will you marry me?_

Lois' eyes were shining as she finished reading. She dropped the paper on the table and moved into his arms.

"Yes."


	53. Engaged

The girls were squealing with excitement, jumping up and down. Lois wanted to tell them to calm down, but she couldn't help feeling excited too. There was just one small thing.

"Where's the ring?" she asked teasingly.

He smirked at her. "Yeah, how did I know you'd be holding out for that Lane?"

"I like my bling," she told him. "So where is it?"

"Be right back," he told her, going back up to the bedroom. Lois waited, wondering why he had gone at normal speed, but she supposed he just wanted to savour the moment. He was back in less than a minute.

"You remember that errand I had to run last week?" he asked.

"You mean the one that took you over an hour?" she said, remembering John Jones telling her how Clark had stopped someone stealing evidence.

He nodded. "That one. Well, I finished doing what I needed to do and I was walking past the jewellers when I saw this."

Lois looked down at the little box in his hand. He opened the clasp and showed her the ring inside. It was a small princess cut diamond ring inlaid with tiny diamonds dotted around the white gold band. It wasn't too flashy, but clearly cost more than she made in three months.

"Let me see, let me see, aunt Lois," Lena said, quickly crowding her.

Maddie grinned at the younger girl. "Don't crowd squirt."

"Clark, it's beautiful," Lois told him, holding out her hand so he could gently place the ring on her finger. The ring fit perfectly and they stared at it, entranced.

"A perfect fit," Lois breathed softly. Just like they were, she thought. Just like they had been since the moment they'd met. Or since the moment she'd taken the time to see past the arrogance.

There was a knock on the door and Lena ran to answer it. Lois barely registered the sound of Lena greeting her father enthusiastically, chattering away to him. All Lois could see and feel was Clark's hand still holding hers.

"Well, I see congratulations are in order," Lex said. "If I'd had more warning, I could have brought champagne."

"It's nine o'clock in the morning," Clark told him, turning to look at his brother.

Lois turned and looked at Lex, who was grinning broadly.

"I notice you didn't wait to get my approval on the column," the older man teased his brother.

"It's my column," Clark said with a shrug. "And Perry approved it."

"Well, all I can say is, where's the rock?"

Lois chuckled as Lex fooled around, taking her hand and peering down at the ring.

"Where is it?" he said, squinting his eyes. "I can't see it."

"Stop it," Lois said. "It's beautiful."

"What is it, two carats at the most? So unbecoming a Luthor," Lex replied. "You know what the old man would say to that. You have to think of your status, son," he added in what was a passable imitation of the elder Luthor, or what Lois had heard of him. "The gaudier the better."

"Cute, Lex," Clark said. "The old man would never have said that."

"Yes he would," Lex returned. "So, you picked a date yet? Or are you two just gonna elope or something tomorrow?"

"Very funny, Lex," Lois retorted.

Lex just smirked. "Well, come on, you two have been together what ... three ... four weeks, tops."

"Well, you know, when something feels right," Clark told him.

"This from the inveterate womaniser," Lex snorted.

"Lois reformed me," Clark smiled.

Lex clapped his brother on the shoulder. "I'll say this baby brother. Good luck. You're gonna need it."

"Hey!" Lois said in protest. Okay, so she could be a handful but she didn't have to like it being pointed out to her.

Lex grinned at her. "Kidding, Lois. Really, I'm very happy for you two."

"Thanks Lex. We were just about to have breakfast. You want?"

"I already ate, but I wouldn't say no to coffee ..."

Lois grinned and went to grab another cup from the cupboard, pouring the coffee, listening as Clark asked his brother about his date with Mayson.

"How did it go?"

"Very well, actually. Mayson is an interesting woman."

It sounded like things were going very well between Lex and the assistant DA. It was no wonder Lex was in such a good mood. Mind you, Lois thought, he deserves all the happiness he can get.

She thought about when she had first heard the Luthors had taken over the Daily Planet. She hadn't had the highest opinion of Lex back then, thinking he would be exactly like Lionel, who cared only about one thing: profit. Yes, Lex cared about profit but he also understood that a good working environment made for happier employees. Morale had gone up at the paper since Lex had taken over and that had certainly helped Lois revise her opinion of him.

Lois took out the coffee, handing Lex it to Lex. Her fiancé, and just the use of that word gave her a tiny thrill, smiled down at her and kissed her briefly before sitting down at the table. Lois sat beside him, watching as Lex picked up the newspaper.

"I have to admit, Clark, your proposal is certainly unique. How did you come up with that idea?"

"Oh, I'd been thinking about it for a while," Clark told his brother.

Lena and Maddie, having finished their breakfasts, asked if they could go and watch television.

"Keep it down," Lois told them quietly.

Lena grinned at her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm glad you and Uncle Clark are gonna get married," she whispered. "I really love you Aunt Lois."

"Aww, I love you too, sweetie," Lois told her, giving her an answering hug.

Maddie grinned at her. "I only have one question," she said.

"Shoot," Lois grinned back, getting an inkling of what it might be.

"Do I get to be bridesmaid?"

"Go watch cartoons," Lois mock growled at her. The teen laughed, going off with Lena to watch television. Lois turned back to the brothers, who had been quietly talking. Lex glanced at her but didn't say what he was thinking.

"I really appreciate you looking after Lena last night," he said. "At least I didn't have to leave Mayson last night to call the babysitter."

"Lex, you know we love Lena," Clark assured his brother.

Lois guessed that was one thing Lex worried about more than ever these days. It wasn't just the fact that Lena had been kidnapped by his own brother, or anything else that had happened. She supposed he had always worried about his daughter. It was the one thing that set him apart from Lionel. He had turned his back on what it meant to be a Luthor to protect his daughter.

She smiled at him warmly. "Clark is right. Looking after Lena isn't a chore. Sure, she can be mischievous, but she's a good girl and all credit to you for how you've raised her.

Lex smiled back, acknowledging the compliment.

"I still wonder if I should be out there dating someone."

"Lex, you deserve to be happy too. Lena wouldn't expect you to sacrifice your life for her. And she likes Mayson."

Lois nodded her agreement. Lena had talked non-stop about the pretty DA at dinner the night before. Lois hadn't detected any bitterness or jealousy, but then Lena was old enough to understand her father's need for companionship.

"What would you have done, Lois? If you had been around Lena's age and your father had suddenly brought home a potential step-mother?"

Lois blushed. There had been someone, about a year or so after her mother had died. The general had begun spending time with the woman. Time that Lois, in her jealousy, had felt was better spent with her and Lucy. But then, it had been a totally different situation.

"Lex, I know what you're asking and the truth is, when my dad did meet someone, I acted like a total brat. But you have to remember that we didn't have the best relationship to start with. I mean, he's a general, so he treated us like little soldiers rather than daughters. So we'd have done anything to get his attention. And we did. Let's just say that both Lucy and I outdid ourselves in acts of naughtiness. We pretty much resented anyone who took his attention away from us and any woman he dated was an interloper."

"Do you think ..." Lex frowned.

"No, Lex. For one thing, Lena doesn't have to be naughty to get your attention. Sure, you can be a workaholic sometimes, but you still know when she needs you and you're fully prepared to drop everything to see to those needs. I'm not saying my dad was a bad father. He was just making the best of things. Just as you are. No parent is perfect, okay? But the best ones are those who learn from their mistakes."

Lex smiled, then leaned back in his chair and looked thoughtfully at the two of them.

"I should get going," he said with a little sigh. "But I was just thinking. I imagine the two of you would like some time alone to, uh, celebrate your engagement. How about I take Maddie out for the day? I promised Lena we'd do something together. Maybe we'll even go visit the Kents."

"You read my mind," Clark grinned.

Lex got up. "Lena, go get Minnie's carrier," he told his daughter. "Maddie, how would you like to spend the day with Lena and I?"

Maddie glanced at Lois and Clark, her eyes missing nothing. She nodded.

"Okay, but I get to call shotgun."

Lena pouted. "Not fair!"

"Sorry squirt," Maddie grinned. "Snooze, you lose."

The two girls began squabbling good-naturedly while the adults laughed. Lex mock growled at them to hurry up and they left a few minutes later. Clark grinned at Lois, getting up to go to the kitchen as if to prepare breakfast for them. Lois got up to follow.

"So what are you in the mood for?" he asked.

"Oh I'm in the mood," she told him, glancing at him coyly under her lashes. "Just not for breakfast."

She turned away from him, her long hair flying, the robe she was wearing slipping down her arm a little, giving him a glimpse of her creamy skin. His eyes appeared to glaze over as he looked at her with lust in his expression. Lois paused in the doorway, licking her lips as she looked at him, daring him.

Clark took the bait, beside her in the blink of an eye, capturing her mouth with his as he pushed her up against the hall door. Lois laughed, a little breathless as his hands slid up underneath the robe to cope the cheeks of her ass.

"I swear you have more than two hands," she told him.

Clark made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat as he kissed her again. Lois wrapped her arms around him, letting him take control as he lifted her in his arms, pushing her even harder against the door. Lois squeaked in surprise as the door opened behind her and it was only Clark's quick reflexes that stopped them from falling.

She found herself in the bedroom, being lowered to the bed. Clark left her briefly to take off his robe and pants. Lois held out her arms for him and the bed dipped as he joined her. She giggled as he began to suck on the skin of her clavicle.

"That tickles," she said, feeling the slight rasp of his stubble.

Clark lifted his head briefly to grin at her as he slowly began to pull of her robe, then just as slowly slid the strap of her bra down her arm. His mouth began moving lower and Lois lost herself in waves of pleasure as she felt his mouth everywhere. She moaned, twisting her fingers in his hair as Clark's mouth closed over her breast. Heat spread like a forest fire through her body, her sex aching with the need for his intimate touch.

Clark rolled over in the bed so she was now on top and Lois looked down at him as she rocked her pelvis against him, feeling his hardness beneath her. The heat of his hands was almost scorching her skin, even beneath the barrier of her panties. The scent of their arousal hung in the air.

"Clark!" she moaned as she felt him slide her panties down. At least he hadn't ripped them this time, she thought with a grin. He'd done that the weekend before when she'd stayed Friday night. Of course, he'd made up for it by buying her sexy lingerie from Victoria's Secret, and Lois didn't want to know how he'd actually managed to walk into the store and buy the underwear for her. It certainly wasn't something she would wear to work. Not unless she wanted Clark to jump her the minute his x-ray vision showed him what she was wearing.

Lois sat up, undulating her hips, eliciting a grunt from Clark as she ground against him. She could feel his shaft beneath her, causing a light spasm as her body demanded completion. His green eyes were wide as he gazed at her, reminding her a little of the lake where they had gone for a picnic just a few weeks earlier. Lois grinned at him as his hands reached for her, trying to pull her down to him. She slid back a little, her hand moving to grasp him, guide him inside.

Clark pulled her down to him, but Lois didn't mind as it just added to the intimacy of the contact. They rocked against each other, groaning in their mutual passion, urging each other on harder and faster until their bodies shook in simultaneous climax.

Lois woke a little later, curled up against Clark. Her stomach rumbled and she grinned. If she was hungry then she had no doubt Clark would be just as hungry. Getting up, Lois started to pick up the robe from where it had been tossed, but decided to leave it where it lay, going to the closet. She glanced at the bed but her fiancé was still sleeping soundly. Lois began to search quietly through the shirts hanging on the rail.

There was the silk shirt Clark had worn the first day they'd been partnered up. Lois smiled, stroking the fabric. She remembered Perry and Lex telling her she had no choice in the matter, but even Clark had looked aghast at the prospect. That was the day she had worn the tight jeans which had been so thin in the ass they were practically see-through.

That had also been the day of the infamous bet. What had they been arguing about? Oh, right, she thought, she had decided to go shopping for something else to wear, since the jeans had not been a professional look and had derided his shirt. Well, with the way it fit his muscular body, not to mention the way the fabric shone in the light, it did make him look sexier. Lois grinned again. That was when Clark had bet her she would never be able to ask a guy out on a date.

She sighed softly, touching the rest of his shirts, her gaze falling on the perfect shirt. Lex often kidded his brother about his laidback manner. Clark really had travelled the world and seen a far different side to it than Lex. Then again, Lex had had a lot more responsibilities, trying to run the European subsidiaries of Luthorcorp while raising his daughter, whereas Clark could afford to flit here, there and everywhere. He might have acted like the playboy everyone had expected him to be but deep down she knew Clark had craved a sense of normality – a break, as it were, from the reality of his incredible abilities.

Decision made, Lois took the shirt off its hanger, putting it on, loving the softness of the fabric on her skin. She left the bedroom, glancing again at Clark, who still seemed to be asleep. Poor baby, she thought. He'd probably been up half the night worrying about her, especially with the concussion. Or he'd been worried about her reaction to the column.

She had to admit it had not only been a very romantic way to propose, but also very imaginative. She'd heard of guys hiring planes and writing their proposal in the sky, or taking their girlfriends on romantic getaways or to exotic locations. Lois had never really thought about something like that.

When she'd thought about Clark proposing, she had expected him to do something that was either outrageously expensive or completely out of left field. She knew he wanted to marry her – that had never been in question from the moment he had told her he loved her. But she had never expected such a unique proposal.

Stomach rumbling again, Lois mentally admonished herself.

"Come on, Lane, this isn't getting you some food."

She padded quietly into the kitchen, going to the refrigerator to peruse the contents. Let's see, she thought. Strawberries, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, pineapple ...

Arms snaked around her waist and Lois jumped.

"Been raiding my closet, Lane?" a voice said softly in her ear.

"Mmmaybe," she said, her head back to receive his kiss. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"You were making such an effort to be quiet, I was wondering if you were up to something," Clark murmured.

"Nope, just hungry."

"Making a fruit salad?" he asked, eyeing the fruit in her arms.

"Mm. Since you did get all my favourites."

She put all the fruit on the counter and found the knife in the drawer. Clark stood behind her, pressing his body against her as she began to cut the tops off the strawberries.

"You make me cut myself and I'll ..."

"You'll what?" he asked, nibbling on her earlobe.

"Claark!"

"Here," he said, taking the knife from her and beginning to cut the fruit into smaller pieces. Lois stood in the circle of his arms, leaning back against him, watching as he worked. For once, he didn't use his superspeed.

Lois grabbed a plate and placed all the fruit on it. She took it all into the living room and put it on the coffee table next to the couch. Clark followed her, his eyes dancing.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

Lois glanced at him, realising he'd put on his pyjama pants. She snickered. She'd been half expecting Clark to have walked out of the bedroom naked, but since Maddie had come to live with him, he'd been a lot more cautious about dressing before leaving the bedroom.

"Do I have to be up to something?" she asked, waiting until he sat down on the couch, then sat astride his lap, her fingers stroking his pecs. Her engagement ring shone brightly in the sunlight pouring in from the huge plate glass windows and she looked at it for a long moment. It really was a beautiful ring, she thought.

"I know you, Lane," he replied, stroking her back.

Lois reached for the plate on the table and placed it on the couch beside her, picking up a piece of strawberry.

"Open up," she told him.

Clark's eyes glittered but he opened his mouth, taking the strawberry. Lois picked out her own piece and popped it in her mouth. The juice practically exploded on her tastebuds as she chewed.

It was Clark's turn to grab a piece of fruit and he picked up a big slice of melon. Lois opened her mouth expectantly, taking a bite. Clark grinned as some of the juice dripped down her chin and onto the exposed skin above her breasts. He leaned forward and licked up some of the juice, then looked at her.

"I see what your plan is," he said. "Very sneaky."

Lois just grinned slyly, watching as he took his own bite of the juicy melon.

It wasn't long before they were each a sticky mess. Feeling mischievous, Lois had taken some of the strawberries and kiwifruit and mashed it against Clark's chest before slowly licking it up. In retaliation, Clark had stripped the flannel shirt from her and made her lie on her back on the couch before mashing pieces of melon in his hands then rubbing the juicy pulp all over her breasts. Lois had clung to him as he licked up the mess he'd made.

Once the fruit was gone, Clark had picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the bathroom where he'd proceeded to take her against the wall of the shower while the water cascaded down around them, muffling their cries.

They spent the rest of the day in bed making love and talking about their future. Lois lay curled in his arms, looking down at the ring.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

"How perfect it was," she said. "The proposal, I mean. It was simple, but ... it was romantic."

She rolled over and looked at him.

"How long were you really thinking about it?" she asked.

"From the moment I realised I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you," he said.

"When did you know?"

Clark smiled. "Well, I could say about five minutes after I met you ... in the flesh, anyway, but ..."

Lois slapped his shoulder. "Liar! All you were thinking about then was how to get me to go to bed with you."

"Okay, okay, you're right. I was thinking about that. But then I saw you in your office and you were writing up your resignation. It made me realise that you were a woman of integrity who would rather give up something she loved than compromise that integrity. You were really upset about Lex taking over the Planet and you spoke your mind."

"I was wrong. About Lex. I was just thinking about that this morning. I mean, people are a lot happier now that he's in charge. I guess maybe because there's more job security now. And he is a good boss. He really does care about his employees."

"What about me?" Clark asked.

"Do you want me to tell you that I was wrong about you?" she asked. "In the beginning, I don't think I was. I mean, maybe I might have been a little judgmental, but that's because you never let me see the real you. Not back then."

"You're right," he said. "I think we both put up a lot of barriers. I never did get why you had so many."

"Well, part of it was my dad, I guess. I don't know. When all you want is attention from the person you love the most, when you don't get it, it hurts and maybe it's just better not to let people in so you don't have to risk getting hurt."

"That's true," Clark nodded.

The conversation turned to their getting married.

"Have you thought about what you'd like?" Clark asked.

"Well, a big society wedding isn't really my thing. Just, you know, a simple ceremony. You, me, Lex, Ollie, Chloe, the Kents ..."

"Bruce. Don't forget him."

Lois noticed Clark's grimace.

"I thought you guys were getting along better?" she asked.

"We are, I guess. I don't know. There are times when I think Bruce still doubts my intentions."

"Honey, it's nothing personal. It's just Bruce. He isn't really all that close to a lot of people. Chloe and his butler are probably the exception. He'll come around. You'll see."

"You're right," Clark said, kissing her.


	54. Dinner

Clark had known that as soon as the paper hit the newsstands the media would come out in full force. He had hoped to take Lois out to a nice quiet dinner but as soon as they'd stepped out of the car, the flashes had gone off. Even Cat Grant could be spotted in the crowd.

Lois frowned at him as he handed the keys to the valet, glancing at the reporters and photographers.

"How did they even know we'd be here?" she asked.

Clark shrugged, adjusting his glasses.

"Just ignore them, darling," he told her. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Clark was a little puzzled until he realised what he'd said. Lois nudged him and grinned.

"I really have converted you into a sap," she smirked. "No one's ever called me darling before. I like it."

"Good, I do too," he smiled. "Come on. I'm starving."

"Gee, why am I not surprised?" she snorted. "You're a bottomless pit."

"Hmm, well, let's see, I did spend all day making love to my beautiful fiancée. I think I deserve a good dinner."

"Ooh, keep that up and you just might score a few more points," Lois laughed, squeezing his hand.

He paused, looking her over. Lois was wearing a white dress that hugged all her curves in the right places. Her dark chocolate hair was softly curled and up in a loose knot and aquamarine studs adorned her ears. She was so beautiful it took his breath away.

Clark guided her before him toward the door of the restaurant. Une Cuisine Raffinée boasted some of the finest French cuisine in Metropolis and it was so exclusive it only had about twenty tables. The Luthors had had a permanent reservation at the restaurant for as long as Clark could remember, although he had only used it once or twice himself.

There were calls from some of the paparazzi for comments on their engagement, but Clark gently guided Lois inside through the waiting door, smiling at the doorman.

"Thank you," he said.

"My pleasure Mr Luthor sir. May I say congratulations to your and your beautiful fiancée?"

"You may. Thank you."

They were greeted inside by the maitre d'hotel, who beamed at them.

"Welcome, Mr Luthor. Miss Lane. Your table awaits."

Lois looked uncertain. "You didn't, uh, happen to kick anyone out?"

"Non mademoiselle," the man explained. "Mr Luthor's family has always had a standing reservation here. The owner is family."

"Family?" she asked, looking at Clark.

"He was my mother's cousin," Clark told her, although Lillian had had very little to do with the man, who had moved to France as a young boy and had trained at the Cordon Bleu.

"Your brother was here last week," the other man confided. "Having dinner with that lovely lawyer."

Figures, Clark thought, that Lex would pull out all the stops to impress Mayson. He really had been out of the game a while.

He heard the commotion outside from the waiting paparazzi and turned back to the maitre d.

"Would you mind asking the manager to stop by our table?" he said, handing the man a bill.

"Of course, sir. I will show you to your table."

They followed him to a secluded corner. Clark was pleased to see it was fairly private, as well as intimate. The man stood behind Lois as she sat, pushing her chair closer.

"Would you care to see the wine list, Mr Luthor?"

"No, thank you, but if you could bring out your best champagne." He turned and took Lois' hand. "We are celebrating after all."

"Of course."

The man turned away, leaving them to face each other. Lois looked extremely impressed by the restaurant.

"You know, I've heard people are on the waiting list for months to get into this place."

"My parents would come here a lot," Clark confided. "I used to think Lionel did it because he loved my mom. Now I think he only came here because he'd done something bad and was trying to make up for it."

Lois nodded. "That sounds like him."

"I want you to know I would never do that," he told her. "I mean, I didn't do this to impress you, it's just, well, the cuisine here is simply amazing."

"So, uh, have you brought anyone else here?" Lois asked, but before Clark could answer her, the manager approached their table. He spoke in a thick accent. Clark knew the owner mostly wanted authentic French staff and had recruited from all over France. Some of the casual staff were local, however.

"Mr Luthor, it is a pleasure to see you here. How may I be of service to you this evening?"

"Would you care to explain how the press knew we were going to be here? I only called early this afternoon to ensure there would be a table for us."

The man had the grace to look ashamed.

"Yes, I am afraid it was one of our wait staff, Mr Luthor. He has been dating one of the photographers from the Inquisitor."

"Which one?" Lois asked.

"Mademoiselle?"

"Which photographer? I know them both."

"Uh, Rand."

Clark frowned at her. "What is it, Lois?"

"Rand is a user. He takes advantage of others just to get stories, then brags about it to other photographers. I suspect your waiter was naive enough to believe that Rand actually liked him, when, I think what really happened was that son of a bitch thought he might get a few shots of local celebrities so he could sell them to magazines."

"The waiter will, of course, be fired," the manager promised.

"No, let's not be too hasty," Clark told him. After all, it wasn't the kid's fault if Rand had really been using him. "Look, based on what Lois says about the photographer, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, we have ways of getting to the truth. Please don't make him lose his job because of one little slip."

"Very well, Mr Luthor. In the meantime, I will arrange for the two of you to leave by the back entrance after your dinner, which will, of course, be on the house."

"Nonsense," Clark told him. "I appreciate the thought, but I pay my own way."

The wine waiter approached the table with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.

"A nineteen seventy-three Dom Perignon," he said.

"Thank you," Clark said politely, watching as the man poured the champagne into flutes and returned the bottle to the ice bucket. He nodded and left. Clark raised his glass. "To my beautiful fiancee," he said.

"To us," Lois answered, lightly touching her flute to his so the crystal made a clinking sound.

Clark soon noticed a few stares from the other diners, but chose to ignore them. The fact that he was the adopted son of one of the most powerful families in the city did not give him licence to act like it, he thought. He knew it was a big change from the arrogant teenager he had once been, but learning exactly who the man who had adopted him was and training with Jor-El had made him realise that money did not equal power.

Still, he knew that now he and Lois were getting married, it was going to be something that went with the territory. She would soon have to get used to, as someone had once called it, 'life in a fishbowl'. Clark wondered if perhaps she would have been better off with someone else, but he loved her and couldn't imagine life without her now.

Lois squeezed his fingers.

"You okay?"

"Just thinking," he said.

"About what?"

"Just wondering, actually, if you're okay with all of this."

"What, you mean being on the fast track to fame and fortune?" She grinned, clearly teasing. Clark rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean, darling."

"Clark, I knew what your life was like before we even started dating and I know it will only get even more intense when we do get married, but you know what? I don't care. They can just go lump it because I'm marrying the man I love. I know it's not all going to be moonlight and roses. I've never believed in fairytales, and I'm certainly not going to be Snow White to your Prince Charming. I know there's no such thing."

He grinned back at her, sipping his champagne.

"I seem to recall a certain conversation where you said you were holding out for Mr Perfect." He frowned. "How did that go again?" He spoke in a falsetto. "My perfect guy loves to take walks in the rain and he'll take me to a monster truck rally, or out to a romantic dinner."

Lois slapped his arm, glaring at him. "You would remember that. Besides, you've managed two out of three," she added with a smirk.

"Mind you, you still have to hold up your end of the deal."

"What deal?" she frowned.

"One monster truck rally for a football game."

"It's not even football season yet, Luthor. There's still time."

"Well, just as long as you don't try to wriggle out of it," he said.

"A deal's a deal," she said with a shrug.

Clark laughed, picking up his menu to peruse the dishes. The manager changed the menu every so often, just to keep the selection fresh. He finally decided on French onion soup as a starter, then Coq au Vin, with fresh fruit salad for dessert.

"Mm, that sounds good," Lois murmured when Clark told her what his choices were. "I think I'll have the same."

A waiter came over to take their order. The young man was probably about eighteen, with chocolate brown skin and a stocky build. Clark realised as soon as the waiter smiled nervously that this was the kid who had been taken in by the photographer. Lois, astute as always, clearly came to the same conclusion.

"Are you the kid who told the photographer we would be here?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Uh," he began.

"Yeah, I thought so," she said. "Listen, uh, what's your name?"

"Ben," he said miserably.

"Listen, Ben, I know Rand and he is the biggest jerk on the face of this Earth. He is a user."

"I thought he liked me," the young man wailed. "I only told him all that stuff because he said he could get me an internship at the Inquisitor."'

It was clear he was a student in college and was only working as a waiter to make ends meet.

"You're interested in being a reporter?" Clark asked.

"Yes sir. It's all I've ever wanted to be since I left Smallville."

Clark leaned forward, interested.

"Wait, Smallville?"

Ben nodded. "Yes sir. I went to Smallville High. You were there with my cousin. I mean, you were a senior and he was a freshman, but ... he's a lawyer."

"What's your cousin's name?" Lois asked.

"Pete. Pete Ross."

Clark looked the boy over. He'd liked Pete when he'd met him in Lex's office. Lana had told him Pete had gone to Smallville High, but Clark hadn't remembered him then.

"Look, I can't promise anything," Clark said, "but I can talk to my brother. Now that he's the owner of the Daily Planet, I might be able to pull some strings. You'll have to prove yourself, though. It's not going to be a free ride."

The kid's face brightened and Clark knew he'd done the right thing.

"Oh, thank you, sir," the kid gushed. "I'm really, really sorry about the whole paparazzi thing. I really didn't know he was going to do that."

"Well, let it be a lesson," Clark told him gently. "Next time, try not to be so trusting."

"Yes sir," the teen nodded enthusiastically. He looked up, frowning slightly. Clark glanced over in the same direction and realised the manager was gesturing for him to stop dawdling.

"Uh, so I should take your order now, Mr Luthor, sir."

Clark almost laughed. The kid was completely in awe of him.

"Uh, may I ask you something?" the teen asked, after he'd written down the orders.

"Shoot."

"What's the Blur like? I mean, you write a lot of stories about him. Have you actually met him?"

"No," Lois told him with a smile at Clark. "He calls us though."

"Whoa! He's amazing. You know, a lot of my buddies at school think the Blur's from Smallville."

"They do, do they?" Clark asked, trying to stifle his laughter. Ben grinned.

"Well, I better go," he said. "I'm really sorry about what happened but I'm glad you're not too angry." He leaned forward and spoke conspiratorially. "You know, my sister ... she's older than me. She's gonna be so mad when she finds out you're ... yanno, off the market. She has a huge crush on you. But I bet she's gonna think it's really cool anyway. She's a huge fan of yours, Miss Lane."

Clark burst into laughter as he looked at Lois, whose shoulders were shaking as she tried to stifle her own giggles.

When he could stop laughing, Clark realised why the young man had been taken in so easily. Growing up in Smallville, he had clearly been very sheltered. It must have difficult for him, being gay and living in a community that for the most part was extremely conservative. In 'Bible Belt' country, being gay was hardly cause for celebration. Clark had the feeling his family, if they were supportive of his sexuality, had done their best to protect the boy from the worst of it, but it had left him vulnerable to 'predators' like the photographer.

Lois grinned at him.

"Don't even think of adopting another one," she told him. "I think we've got our hands full with Maddie."

"I feel bad for the kid, Lois," he said.

"I get that, honey, I do, but you can't go and rescue everyone, okay? Sooner or later he will have to learn there are people like Rand out there."

"It's what I do," he said with a sigh.

"Clark, I love you and I love what you do, but you have to be realistic and realise that you can't save everyone, even from themselves. It's not going to be easy for him, God knows, but you can't be there to hold his hand or protect him from idiots like Rand, anymore than he can be protected from the prejudices."

"I know," he told her.

"C'mere," she said. "Squooch closer."

"Squooch?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he moved his chair around to her side.

"It's my word and I like it," she said, putting her arms around his neck and planting a deep kiss on his mouth.

"You know what I love about you?" she said. "I mean, besides the fact that you're handsome and very sexy," she added flirtatiously.

"What's that?"

"You refuse to just accept things. If you can change something, you don't just stand back and wait for someone to take action, you do it yourself."

"I could say the same thing about you, Lois. You're incredible. You're not just beautiful and talented, you're a force of nature." He kissed her. "Have I told you how glad I am I fell in love with you?"

She smiled, a tender look crossing her face.

"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again. I love you so much, Clark. I never thought I'd ever meet someone like you, let alone fall for one."

Clark stroked her face gently, loving the intimacy of that moment. She really was an incredible woman.

He could hear the murmurs from the other diners at this public display of their affections, but he was beyond caring. He wanted to tell the entire world how much he loved Lois Lane. It seemed as if they had been destined for each other. In spite of how they'd behaved toward each other the first day they'd actually met, he had felt something click into place. Like he was where he was supposed to be.

The waiter brought over their soups and Clark moved his chair back. Lois smiled, her eyes bright even in the dimness. She sat back to allow Ben to place the napkin in her lap, nodding her thanks at him.

"Enjoy," Ben said with a broad grin.

They ate and talked, just enjoying each other's company. After Clark had paid the bill, true to his word, the manager had arranged for the valet to meet them at the back of the restaurant. The man grinned as he palmed Clark's tip after helping Lois into the car.

"Have a great night, sir," he said.

Lois chuckled. "I bet you get a kick out of them calling you sir all the time," she said.

"You know it," he laughed, closing the door and coming around to get in the driver's seat.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a kiss.

"For what?"

"For such a wonderful evening. You were right, the food was amazing!"

"Told you."

"Mm, yes you did." She was silent for a few moments, looking contemplatively out the window as he drove along the darkened streets to his apartment. "Clark?" she said, turning back to look at him.

"Yes?"

"I was just thinking ... you know, before I met you I was almost resigned to never meeting someone who could match me; I mean, the guys I went out with always seemed to be intimidated by me and it was like, every date was an interview. Lucy always used to tell me that I gave guys the third degree. With you, it wasn't like that. I mean, you were different. It was like you charged right in and didn't take no for an answer. I might have hated it at first, but now I think it was what made me love you more. Because you saw me as a challenge."

"Lois, darling, you are more than just a challenge to me. You ... I know it sounds kind of sappy, but you complete me. I used to think I would never find anyone who could be my equal, and I'm not talking about my abilities. It's like you were saying earlier. I see the same thing in you. That passion to make the world a better place. I mean, you're not idealistic. You know that the world can be a harsh place sometimes, but you still keep trying. That's one of the many things I love about you."

He took his eyes off the road for a second to look at her. Her eyes were shining.

"That's not sappy," she said softly, "because that's exactly how I feel. I don't think I ever felt whole until I fell in love with you."

He turned back to the view in front of him, slowing the car to turn into the entrance to the underground parking. It seemed to take forever before they entered the darkened apartment. Lex had sent a text saying Maddie would stay at his place overnight so they had the place to themselves.

Clark held his fiancee's hand as he walked with her into the bedroom. While Lois had been getting dressed for dinner a few hours earlier, Clark had set up the room with candles beside the bed, surrounded by rose petals, and soft cotton sheets. As he turned to light the candles with his heat vision, Lois put a hand on his arm.

"I don't need candles," she said softly. "We don't need moonlight and roses, Clark. Baby, I just want you."

Nodding, Clark slowly stripped her, removing the pins from her hair, curling his fingers in the long, lustrous waves as it fell past her shoulders. He slipped the straps of her dress down her arms, reaching behind her to unfasten the zip.

Lois gently pushed his hands away as her own fingers worked the buttons of his shirt, pushing the sleeves down his muscular arms. He kissed her hungrily, thrusting his tongue in between her soft, lush lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, moving closer to rub her body against his. Clark moaned softly, feeling his sex pressing against hers, the need to claim her, own her intimately urging him on.

Clark toed off his shoes, using one hand to undo his belt, letting his pants slip down past his thighs to pool at his ankles. He stepped out of them easily, gently propelling his lover to the bed. She lay on her back with a soft sigh, her arms still around his neck.

They kissed again with less fervour, less urgency but nonetheless still passionate.

"Oh Clark," she moaned as he rolled onto his back to let her straddle him.

She moved down, pressing kisses down his naked, or almost naked body. He'd forgotten he was still wearing his boxers.

Lois smirked as she looked up at him.

"Tsk, tsk," she said, shaking her head. "Well, you know what we're going to have to do with those."

Clark grinned as she pulled them down, watching as she threw them on the floor, then reached for her.

"Someone's still overdressed," he said, reaching for the nude coloured strapless bra. Lois again pushed his hands away, straddling his waist as she reached behind her, grinding down on him, teasing his hardness. She moved with agonising slowness to unhook the fastenings. Her breasts fell free as she tossed the bra to the floor.

Clark gazed at them hungrily. He felt his groin beginning to throb, his need for her drowning out all other thoughts. He sat up, his hands cupping her breasts as he licked her sweet skin. Lois threw her head back, undulating against him, her fingers curled in his hair, guiding him.

He rolled over again, kissing her torso, dipping his tongue in her navel until she cried out, begging for more. He slipped a finger beneath her soaked panties, pushing the band down to give himself unencumbered access to her. Lois' moans increased as he continued down, thrashing in the bed as he thrust his tongue inside her.

"Clark! Oh god, baby please!"

He had always considered himself to be a skilled lover. He supposed it was arrogance to think that way, but then again, he'd learned a lot about sex from his brother, and that was not as dirty as it sounded in his head. Lex had taught him a lot about women. He knew how to treat a woman so she enjoyed herself, but he'd never pretended it was anything other than just sex and his own need to prove he was the best at everything he did.

Yet with Lois, it was so much more. It wasn't just the intimacy of what they did together. It sometimes felt as if he was sharing a part of himself that he never shared with anyone else. It was like she knew him; knew how he thought, how he felt. He had opened up to her in ways that he had never opened up to even Lex.

He let her straddle him once more and she lifted her hips, leaning forward a little, moving until she was impaled on him, teasing him by moving with that agonising slowness that always drove him crazy. She had told him after the first night they'd made love that sometimes the slow burns were better than the more passionate encounters because it just made it that much more intense when she finally did release.

Her body shook through her climax, her inner muscles squeezing him, her head thrown back. He reached for her, holding her through the spasms until she came to rest beside him, laying her head on his chest as she fell asleep.

They returned to work on Monday, knowing the news of their engagement would be all over the building, but Clark didn't care. It felt as if he had been floating on a cloud all weekend; without his super-powers.

The euphoria faded slightly when he saw Cat hovering just before the editorial meeting. He kissed Lois on the cheek and waited until she had gone into the conference room, then grabbed Cat's arm, dragging her into the nearest empty office.

"Ow! Clark, what are you ..."

"Tell me you had nothing to do with what happened Saturday," he said.

"I don't know what you're ..."

"Don't play games with me, Cat. I saw you at the restaurant."

"Look, I just heard you were going to be there through a friend of a friend."

"This 'friend' wouldn't be a photographer at the Inquisitor, by any chance, would he?"

Cat turned red. "Uh ..." If she was going to deny it, it was already too late. She frowned at him, trying to shake him off. "You know, you are a Luthor. I mean, you're rich, famous ..."

"This is not about me," he told her firmly. "Lois needs time to grow accustomed to being in the public eye and being ambushed like that was not only disrespectful to our privacy, it was disrespectful to a fellow staff member at this newspaper."

"It's my job," Cat said, looking sulky.

"It won't be for much longer if I catch you stalking us," he told her. Cat looked alarmed.

"Uh ..." She then seemed to steel herself. "You're bluffing."

"No, I'm not. Trust me, while I'm not going to say anything to Lex about Saturday, if it happens again I will take it further and you can guarantee that you will be out of a job before you can even blink."

"You know, I wasn't the only one," she began hotly.

"Lois and I will be dealing with the Inquisitor," he said. "Don't you dare try and wriggle out of this Cat. Blaming someone else for it won't work. You could have chosen not to be there, but the fact is, you were. Don't test me," he added. "From now on, when I ask you to respect our privacy, I mean it."

Grumbling, Cat left the office, eyes widening in alarm at Lex, who was standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been there?" Clark asked.

"Long enough to hear you threatening Cat. Clark, I hate to belabour the obvious but you know the paparazzi comes with the territory."

"I know that, Lex, but Lois needs time to adjust. It's hard enough for her with the fact that I'm ... you know ... of the, uh ..." He gestured with his hand. Lex nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.

"Still, I'm not sure threatening Cat was the right way to go about it," he said as they entered the conference room. Perry was already on his soapbox, telling the assembled journalists a story about his days as a student protestor. He paused mid-sentence when Lex entered.

"Well, anyway, enough about that. Let's hear what everyone's working on."

Halfway through the meeting, Lois pulled out her phone and frowned as she looked at it. She excused herself, giving Clark's shoulder a squeeze. He followed her out, watching as she answered the call.

"Daddy?"

Clark was tempted to listen with his super-hearing but chose not to. The conversation was brief, but serious, judging from Lois' expression.

"What is it?" he asked as she hung up.

"Slade's just turned up. He's dead, Clark. He's been murdered!"


	55. Trask

Lois fidgeted through the rest of the meeting, wanting to find out what had happened to Slade. Her father hadn't been able to tell her much, except that the general's body had been found in an alley.

Perry and Lex had been shocked when she'd told them what had happened. Perry had immediately suggested that they turn their focus to this latest news, although it could wait until the end of the meeting.

Clark, meanwhile, had been shooting her anxious looks. She knew he was worrying about her, but she was fine. She wasn't exactly happy about this turn of events, but it wasn't like they could reverse what had happened.

As soon as the meeting broke up, she hurried with Clark to her office and began making calls. Clark got on the other phone and called Bruce to see what he had learned. Lois did wonder why Clark was suddenly always turning to Bruce, but it seemed the two men had begun to develop a mutual respect for each other.

Lois focused on her own phone call.

"Detective John Jones please," she said. "It's Lois Lane."

"Detective Jones is busy at the moment Miss Lane," the voice on the other end said brusquely.

"Look, I appreciate he's busy, but I need to talk to him."

"And as I said ..."

Lois forced herself to keep calm as she spoke again.

"Please, just give him a message to call me asap. He knows my number."

She hung up, checking her rolodex for another number she could call. Then she remembered the blonde officer from the week before who had been at the hospital when she had been knocked out. Biting her lip, she checked her purse for the card he had given her.

There was a cellphone number. Lois quickly dialled it.

"Dan Turpin?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"It's Lois Lane."

"Uh, Miss Lane, I'm kinda busy right now."

"Investigating what happened to Slade Wilson?" she asked.

"How did you know about that? It's not even out on the wires yet."

"I have my sources. What do you have?"

"Uh, I'm not supposed to talk to the press," he said.

"Turpin, come on, throw me a bone here."

"Look, all I know is we don't have a suspect, but we are looking for someone."

"Who?"

"The Blur."

"What?" Her stunned tone had Clark looking up and frowning at her.

"There's a witness who says they think the Blur did it."

"When did this happen?" she asked.

"We're not sure, but Wilson was found about three hours ago. We don't have a confirmed T.O.D yet."

"Ballpark?"

"Sometime last night. Or early this morning. About two-ish."

"Well that doesn't make sense. Why would the Blur ..."

"I'm only telling you what I know, and if you print the Blur's a suspect I will lose my job, you got me Lane?"

"Yeah. Thanks Dan."

Clark had hung up his call by the time she put the phone down.

"What is it?" he asked, frowning again.

"They think the Blur did it."

Clark's frown deepened. "Why would they think that?"

"Cops claim there's a witness."

Clark shook his head. "You know I would never ..."

"Honey, I know," she said, raising her hand. She was going to reassure him but her phone rang.

"It's Jones here. I take it your father called you about Slade."

"Yes, he did. I, uh, talked to someone else who claims the Blur's a suspect."

"I think we need to talk about this face to face," he said, "but I'd rather not discuss this at the police station."

"Watchtower?" she asked.

"I will meet you both there in five minutes."

Lois grabbed her bag as she hung up. Clark looked at her.

"What?"

"J'onn said he'll meet us at Watchtower in five minutes."

Clark nodded and stood up. "Let's go then," he said.

Lois let him take her hand and they headed upstairs to the building's roof. Clark took her in his arms.

"Hang on," he said unnecessarily as he dropped to his knees and shot in the air. Lois felt the undercurrents from his take-off, her hair whipping in the wind. She held tightly to him, the world passing in a blur that had her feeling more than a little light-headed.

They were probably only in the air about a minute, but it felt longer to Lois, who wasn't used to travelling at super speed. She wondered if she ever would get used to it.

Clark landed gently in the centre of Watchtower, steadying her as she slowly got her equilibrium back.

"Okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine, honey. It just takes a little getting used to."

The double doors swung open and the Martian Manhunter came in.

"Lois, Clark."

"What's going on? Why are they going after the Blur?" Lois asked.

"One thing at a time, Lois. Evidence from the crime scene suggests Slade was killed by a fall from at least ten storeys. Now there is a witness who claims to have seen something like a blur or a shadow. However, since it was dark, there is no confirming what they saw."

"This is bad," Lois said. "If it gets out that the Blur is a suspect ..."

"We're going to do our best to ensure that doesn't happen, Lois." J'onn looked at Clark. "In the meantime, I think perhaps it would be best if you asked one of the other members to patrol."

Clark shook his head. "I'm not about to stop doing what I do."

"Honey, maybe he has a point. I mean, I'd hate to think there might be some trigger-happy cop gunning for you."

"They can't hurt me, Lois. Besides, they don't even know what I look like."

"Clark, it is not just the police you need to worry about," J'onn told him. "Let's not overlook the fact Slade was trying to investigate you."

"Slade was involved with Project Ares," Clark reminded him. "I think the fact that he disappears just when Donovan Jamison is arrested speaks volumes."

"You don't know that that is why he disappeared," the detective argued.

"What else could it be?" Clark said with a shrug.

"Well, what did Bruce say?"

"He's doing some digging into the files left behind by Lucas and the doctor at the facility. If anything turns up, he'll let us know."

"Clark, I don't think I need remind you to be careful. With the mood turning against people like us, it could go bad very quickly."

Lois sighed as they returned to the office.

"I just don't get it. Why are people suddenly turning against superheroes? I mean, why? There has to be something else going on."

"Like what, Lois?" Clark asked. "I mean, the truth is, things are bad out there. A lot of people have lost hope."

"Don't you see? That's why they need Superman."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at her. "Superman? Where did that come from?"

Lois had been thinking about it ever since she had got the idea of Clark coming out of the shadows. He couldn't continue to be called the Blur, since he wasn't exactly going to be a blur to people. Lois had been toying with different ideas; most of them incorporating the 'S' he used on his jacket. So she knew it wasn't really an 'S' since it was his Kryptonian family crest, but it was close enough that people would think it was.

Lois got up from her chair and went to sit in his lap, putting her arms around his neck.

"I think that's what your name should be. I mean, there's the symbol. You're, you know, a man and you're super-powered, so ... Superman."

"I don't know, darling, it sounds kind of egotistical, don't you think?"

"Honey, three months ago you would probably have thought differently. I mean, you have to admit that the Blur doesn't quite roll off the tongue like Superman does. You ..."

Clark started to get a faraway look in his eyes.

"Trouble?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, frowning. "Someone in Perry's office. I heard him yelling Great Caesar's Ghost."

"Is it bad that I can hear the caps in those three words?" she said with a grin.

Clark grinned back and hugged her. The phone on the desk rang and he picked it up.

"Luthor." He listened for a few moments. "Okay. We'll be right up."

Lois got to her feet as Clark stood up, frowning at him.

"What is it?"

"Perry wants us in his office. Like five minutes ago, is pretty much what he said."

Lois bit her lip. What could Perry want to see them about? She followed Clark out to the lift and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the car. As soon as the door opened, she pushed her way inside, ignoring the look from Jeff, who was just emerging.

There was a woman standing in the lift, wearing a military uniform. She peered with interest at Lois, who was standing in the middle, while Clark stood on her other side.

"What a beautiful ring," the woman said.

Lois spared her a glance, realising the woman held the rank of a lieutenant. She frowned. The woman had her hair pulled back in a severe style which made her face seem hard. Lois thought the woman would be quite attractive if her hair was framing her face.

"Congratulations," the woman smiled. Lois fought back a shudder at the woman's tone.

"Military's not big on accessories, huh?" she replied.

"Only if they're medals, but a military brat like you should know that, Lois."

Lois shuddered for real at the tone, feeling Clark's hand on her arm. She remained silent as Trotter watched them both with eagle eyes. It was a long wait before the lift reached Perry's floor. As the doors opened, Lois couldn't get out of there fast enough.

The lieutenant followed them out. Lois was beginning to understand exactly why the woman was there; more so when the door to Perry's office opened and she saw Lex, his expression showing worry as well as anger.

"It is unconstitutional," he was saying to someone Lois couldn't see, "and you can be sure I will be making calls to my attorneys."

"You do that, Mr Luthor. In the meantime we will confiscate their computers."

"Great Caesar's Ghost," Perry growled. "You have no right to take Lane's computer. The First Amendment says ..."

"This warrant supersedes that particular amendment, Mr White. Now either produce your reporters or face censure."

Lois bit her lip and went in.

"Chief?"

"Lois. Clark," he said, waving them both in. "Mr Trask here is with the Department of Domestic Security."

"They have a warrant," Lex muttered.

"Warrant for what?"

"For any information on the Blur and his activities."

Crap! she thought. This was just going from bad to worse. First a witness claimed the Blur was responsible for Slade's death, now the DDS was getting in on the act. This was proving to be a very bad day."

They had no choice but to agree to the questioning. Trotter led them to the boardroom and guarded the door, while Trask sat opposite them. He was a stout man with a paunch around his middle. He sat with a stiff posture which made Lois think he had once been in the military, although he'd clearly let himself go.

"Why don't we start with you, Mr Luthor," Trask said, his blue eyes like ice as he glared at Clark. "I understand you only joined this newspaper recently?"

"Yes. I was brought in as a columnist, then Lex, my brother asked me to work with Lois when she almost got herself killed." Clark sent her a fond look.

"I see the two of you just became engaged. Yet you've only known each other a short time. Don't you think that's unusual?"

"Not really. Sometimes I think Lois knows me better than anyone else. Even than I know myself."

"I see," Trask said, although it was clear he didn't. "Miss Lane, can I call you Lois?"

"No!" she told him sharply. Trotter's smirk was cold as she heard that reply.

"Fine. Miss Lane. You have written a few stories about the Blur. Supporting the Blur. Why?"

"Because he stands up for what's right."

"Have you actually met the Blur?"

Lois knew if she hesitated too long, they would take it either as an admission or a lie, but there was no way she was going to allow them to expose Clark. This was not them seeking answers, this was a witch hunt.

"No. I have not met him," she said, firmly meeting Trask's gaze.

"Can you contact the Blur?"

"Well I don't exactly have his phone number," she replied, seeing Trotter smirk again. Lois saw the woman's nostrils flare and Lois began to get the oddest image in her head of a pig with Trotter's eyes and smirk. She quickly dismissed it as cruel.

"Can you contact him by other means," Trask continued, clearly not satisfied with her answer.

"Like how?"

"Like telepathy, for instance."

"No. He just ... shows up."

"What about you, Mr Luthor? Have you ever contacted the Blur?"

"No," Clark said and thank goodness he was a fairly good liar when he needed to be, Lois thought, remembering him saying he never lied about the important things. When it came to protecting his secret, that was another matter entirely.

"Is the Blur of this Earth?"

"What kind of question is that?" Lois asked.

"Is he an extra-terrestrial?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "If something looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck, chances are pretty good it is a duck." She sighed at Trask's stare. He clearly didn't get the joke. "As far as I know, he's human."

"Where were you when Slade Wilson was killed?" Trask asked Clark.

"We were at home. At my apartment. In bed."

Trask smirked, clearly thinking he'd trapped Clark into some kind of admission.

"I didn't say what time he was killed."

"You didn't have to," Clark answered shortly. "We've already talked to the police."

Your move, Lois thought darkly.

"I think you're both lying to me," Trask said after a few moments of hostile glares. "I think you both know exactly who the Blur is."

Lois rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She was distracted by Trotter getting a call. She leaned down and whispered something in Trask's ear. He got up and the pair left without a word. Lois looked at Clark, who just shrugged.

"I heard her say something about the warrant. I think it's bogus."

"Typical," Lois snorted.

Clark nodded, then looked at her quizzically. "Looks like a duck?" he asked.

"Well, what did you want me to say?" she said. "I had to tell him something to make him call off his sniffer dog. Besides he didn't get it."

He shook his head and sighed.

"You are trouble, Lois Lane."

"But you love me anyway," she giggled as they walked out of the boardroom. Clark grabbed her arm and pulled her before she could walk away, pushing her against the wall to kiss her. Lois was lost in the kiss, loving the way he claimed her.

"Ahem!"

She looked up, realising they had an audience. Lois grinned sheepishly at Perry.

"Hey Chief."

"I had a call from Bruce Wayne. He's apparently been ruffling a few feathers in Washington. The warrant's a phony."

They followed the editor-in-chief into his office.

"Trask used to work for the DDS but he was ousted last year for his heavy-handedness. According to Wayne's 'Deep Throat', Trask tried recruiting for a group calling themselves Checkmate, but even someone like Amanda Waller wouldn't touch him."

Lois looked at Clark.

"Checkmate?"

"Trask must be bad news in that case," Clark commented.

Lois frowned. "Why would Trask be so interested in the Blur? Unless he's trying to ..."

"Lois, spill," Perry said. "If you know something ..."

"Chief, off the record, the cops say they've got a witness who claims they saw the Blur throw Slade off a building."

"How do we know he didn't do it?" Perry asked. Lois sent him a glare and he stood back. "Ease up on the death glare there Lane. I'm only speaking from my perspective. You got any reason why you think otherwise?"

Lois bit her lip. If she said too much, Perry would start to put two and two together. The man wasn't dumb, by any means, and there was a good chance he would eventually learn the truth about the Blur.

"All right, kids, let's start laying our cards out on the table. Why don't we start with what you know about Slade."

"It looked like Slade was involved in Lucas' scheme to resurrect Project Ares, which we assumed Lionel had mothballed before he died. Slade was interested in recruiting super ... uh, I mean, the so-called vigilantes," Clark began.

"Yeah, but that's just Slade's way of saying they're gonna be the poster children for the government's war against terrorism," Lois said. "Unless they're willing to follow orders from the government, they're not welcome."

"From what Maddie has told us, the project was in the middle of being shut down."

"Why?" Perry asked.

"We don't know. We've been trying to talk to some of our contacts but they're about as talkative as clams," Lois told him.

"Bruce seems to have had better luck with the guys in Washington," Clark answered. "Maybe he can get his Deep Throat to talk to us."

"Sounds doable," Perry said. "What does this have to with Slade being murdered? Come to that, why would someone try to pin this on the Blur?"

"Maybe to discredit him?" Lois suggested. "I mean, the Blur's been all about stopping crime, until Slade decided to announce this commission of inquiry. Maybe they want to make it look like the Blur killed Slade because he had an axe to grind?"

"Where does a guy like Trask fit into all this?"

"The guy's deeply paranoid, and about as much fun as a root canal," Lois answered.

"There has to be more to this than paranoia. Go start digging into Trask and see what you can find out, then see if you can talk Bruce into talking to this Deep Throat character."

They spent the next two hours digging up everything they could on Jason Trask, but there was little to find. The DDS had deemed his personnel files classified and refused to give them any information.

Lois sighed and leaned back, twisting her neck to try and get rid of the ache.

"Sore?" Clark asked. She nodded. Clark began massaging her neck.

"Oh god, don't stop," she moaned, closing her eyes in utter bliss.

The computer pinged and they looked at the screen. There was a message.

_If you want to know more about Jason Trask, meet me at the corner of Tenth and Holyoake. One hour._

They left the office shortly before the appointed time, walking out holding hands. It quickly became apparent they were being followed. Lois stopped and looked at her reflection in the window, using the opportunity to glance behind her.

"Guess who's behind us," she said.

She saw Clark scowl as he too caught the reflection. Lois thought quickly, then winked at Clark.

"Honey, I just want to stop in here," she said, indicating the store, which supplied wedding stationery.

Clark pretended to sigh, but he clearly knew what she was up to. He followed her inside and Lois began browsing through the selection of wedding invitations, while Clark slipped out the back into the alley so he could circle behind Rand.

"Is there something I can help you with?" the assistant asked. "Oh. Miss Lane. Congratulations on your engagement. Are you wanting something in particular?"

"You know, we haven't even picked a wedding date yet," she said. She pretended to look around, frowning. "Typical. As soon as I start talking wedding stuff, he disappears."

"Yeah, men are like that," the assistant smiled. "Just between you and I, I think they would rather avoid all this stuff and leave it all up to the women."

Lois smiled back. "Tell you what, as soon as I can drag him back in here, we'll talk wedding stationery."

"Good luck with that," the woman chuckled.

Lois went back out, seeing Clark had Rand backed up against the wall. Rand had an arrogant smirk on his face.

"First Amendment, Luthor. You can't stop me."

"Wanna bet?" Clark was saying. "Let's not forget who I was raised by, Rand. I don't like your dirty, underhanded tactics and you can bet your editor will be hearing about it."

Rand continued to smirk, clearly unaware of the danger he was in. He glanced at Lois, his gaze sweeping over her in a way which had her almost dry-retching.

"Tell the truth, Luthor. You knocked her up. She has to be expecting. I mean, that's gotta be the only reason why a guy like you would even consider getting hitched."

Lois glared at him. "Spread that rumour and you can expect my fist in your face."

"Well, I always did like them feisty," Rand said with a leer.

Lois wanted to throw up on his five hundred dollar wingtips. Clark growled and shoved Rand up against the wall, making him hit his head on the brick. It was clear Clark was holding back his power, but not without some effort.

"That's my fiancée you're talking about," he snapped. "You can keep your filthy hands and your innuendoes to yourself."

Rand bristled.

"You know, that's assault, Luthor."

Lois realised it was time to step in before this got out of hand.

"Uh, honey, I think we all just need to calm down," she said.

Clark glanced at her, then let the photographer go. His eyes had taken on the orange tint which she knew indicated he was holding back his heat vision. As she watched, he turned his gaze on Rand's digital camera and she realised he was heating up the memory card. Lois hid a smirk. That would teach him.

Rand shook himself. "You'll be hearing from my lawyer, Luthor." He brushed rudely past Lois, his hand drifting down to brush her ass. "Lane."

"Bring it, Rand," Clark snarled. "Your editor will find himself on the sharp end of a harassment suit. I'd be only too happy to testify about how you use people to convince them to give you confidential information."

"You can't prove that and you know it," Rand returned.

"Maybe not," Lois answered, "but we can prove you're a lying, dirty, snake-in-the-grass with all the morals of one. You can't keep hiding behind the First Amendment."

Rand walked away, giving her the one-fingered salute. Lois huffed.

"Jerk!" she said.

Clark pulled out his phone. "I'm just gonna call Lex," he said.

"What will that do?" she asked. "I mean, I hate to say it, honey, but that's just playing right into his hands."

"At least Lex might be able to talk to his lawyers, file a harassment suit."

"True," she said, realising that was probably the most logical step.

They continued walking as Clark talked to Lex over the phone.

"Thanks Lex, we appreciate it."

They reached the intersection a short time later. Clark frowned as he looked around. There were two buildings on opposite corners. One was an apartment building and the other was a parking garage. On the other corners, one was a vacant lot and the other was a park.

Lois bit her lip, wondering which one. Then she saw him. The man was standing in the shadows of the parking building, just under the awning over the entrance.

"Clark," she said.

"I see him."

The man moved further back into the shadows and they moved quickly, following him as he went inside, going up the narrow stairwell. Lois' spider senses were tingling, making her wonder if this was some kind of trap, but they couldn't turn back now.

The mystery man seemed to have disappeared as they reached the top of the stairwell, until she heard the creak of a door. She poked her head around the corner and saw a door with a hydraulic door closer on the top. It clearly had been opened within the last few seconds. Nudging Clark, she darted forward, grabbing the heavy door before it could close completely and went through.

As soon as she entered the parking area, a hand grabbed her. Much to her disgust, it had been a trap. Trask and Trotter were waiting for them, along with another man.

"I see you got my message," Trask smirked.

"You sick, psycho, son of a bitch," Lois snarled, struggling in the arms of the big beefcake holding her. Another beefcake had grabbed Clark. Lois quickly sent him a look not to do anything stupid, like expose himself. Not that he wouldn't, she thought. Clark was way too smart for that.

They were both hustled into a black van. Lois' bag was wrenched off her shoulder and thrown onto the ground. She heard the sound of glass breaking and realised they'd smashed the little bottle of perfume she kept in her bag. It happened to be her favourite perfume.

That did it. Now she was mad! Lois glanced at Clark, then kicked out hard with one foot, catching the beefcake in the jaw. Trotter pulled out her sidearm, but Clark, clearly incensed at the thought of the lieutenant shooting Lois, grabbed her arm and wrenched it backwards, still holding back on his strength. It was still enough to almost dislocate the woman's shoulder.

Lois continued to fight as Trask got in on the action, landing a punch of his own on her face. She felt the impact and cried out, more in anger than in pain, even as the pain exploded in her cheek. The second muscle tried to grab her in a bear hug but Lois jabbed her elbow in his face, snapping his head back. He was going to wake up with one hell of a migraine, she thought.

Clark had managed to subdue Trotter and had grabbed Trask. Lois snatched up his gun and cocked it, the barrel in the former DDS agent's face.

"I think we should talk, don't you?" she said.

"Name, rank and serial number. That's all you'll get out of me," Trask told her.

"Listen bub, you're out of shape and you clearly don't know me at all," she said. "I'm not an army brat for nothing you know. Tell me what you want with the Blur."

Trask just grinned evilly. The man was seriously nuts, Lois thought.

"Trask, Jason, rank Captain, serial number ..."

She didn't give him a chance to finish, hauling him up by the shirt collar.

"I don't care if you're Admiral Mickey Mouse," she told him. "The Blur. What do you want with him? Are you recruiting?"

Trask laughed. "Recruiting? I wanna kill the freak."

Lois heard Clark growl softly beside her.

"Why?" he said.

"Why? Because he's an alien. He's a threat to national security."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Lois said. "Besides, the Blur is out there helping people."

"Helping? He's inciting anarchy."

"Oh, that's right. Because he refuses to go with the party line, that about cover it?"

Trask just glared, falling silent. Clark slipped out of the van.

"Keep him covered Lois," he said. "I'm going to call the police."

It wasn't long before John Jones showed up with uniformed officers, including Dan Turpin.

"I want this guy arrested. Firstly for kidnapping and secondly for impersonating a human being," Lois told him. "Not to mention assault," she said, wincing as she touched the bruise under her eye.

"Will you be all right, Miss Lane?"

She nodded. "I'll just go back to the office with Clark and put some ice on it."

Clark sped them back to the office as soon as they were clear of the police, grabbing some ice from the icebox and wrapping it in a towel. Lois hissed in pain.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, wincing as he gently pressed the makeshift ice pack to her stinging cheek.

"Clark, don't," she said. "It wasn't your fault. I let my guard down for a second. I knew it was a trap, but I went in anyway."

"Still, if I hadn't held back ..."

"You would have exposed yourself," she told him.

He was clearly x-raying her cheek bone. "Well, at least it's not fractured," he said. "But it will be swollen for a few days."

"I'll cope," she said, laying her hand over his where it was pressed against her cheek. "God that guy creeped me out."

"Yeah, me too."

"I wonder why he hates the Blur so much?"

"I don't know. I guess some people just aren't happy unless they're bringing others down."

"Yeah, that's true. I think this is okay now," she said, indicating her cheek.

Lex chose that moment to walk in.

"Wow! That has to hurt," he said, wincing as he examined the bruise. "That's going to be one hell of a shiner."

"Gee, thanks Lex," she said grumpily.

"I just got off the phone with the director of the DDS. They've actually been trying to get Trask on something for the past few months."

"Glad to know my pain counts for something," she said. "What are they going to do with him? And that beeyotch Trotter."

"I'm guessing they're getting an extended vacation courtesy of the US Penal system."

"Good," Lois said darkly.

Lex shook his head, sighing. "Never a dull moment with you two, is there?"

Clark grinned at his brother. "Nope."

"You'll also be happy to know that the editor of the Inquisitor has fired Rand rather than be faced with a harassment suit. I'm guessing he figured he'd rather that than go up against a Luthor."

"Well, hallelujah," Lois exclaimed. "Guess this day wasn't a total waste."


	56. Burke

Clark couldn't help worrying about Lois as he drove them home to his apartment. He didn't want to be accused of being over-protective, but she did seem to have a way of landing herself deep into precarious situations. Still, that was what made Lois, well, Lois, he thought. She just wasn't the type to stand back and do nothing, not if there was something she could do about it.

Trask was about to get a one-way trip to whatever passed for maximum security for former DDS agents. At least, Clark hoped so. The trouble with these particular government agencies was that they usually saw mental instability as an advantage in many ways. Although if even someone like Amanda Waller wouldn't touch Trask, then other agencies would wash their hands of him.

"Um, honey?"

Clark looked at Lois. "What is it?"

"Can we swing by my place? I need to pack some more clothes."

"Sure," he said, changing lanes to take the turn-off to her townhouse. "Um, I was actually thinking about that."

"What? My townhouse?" She looked at him. "You want us to move in together?"

"Well, we are engaged now."

She hesitated. "I don't know, honey. I mean, surely we've got plenty of time for that. It's not like we've picked a date yet."

"What are you saying? That you don't want to move in with me?"

"No, honey, that's not what I'm saying. It's just, it's all happened really fast and I just want to slow things down a little. You know, let us enjoy being a couple without all the pressure of, you know, moving in together and getting married."

He considered this for a moment. Sure, things had moved awfully fast, but he knew just how quickly things could go wrong. He'd lost his birth parents and his adoptive parents. Even if Lionel had been a complete bastard, he had still been Clark's father. He tried explaining this to Lois and she listened without interjecting, biting her bottom lip.

By the time he was finished, he had pulled up outside her townhouse. Lois turned to him, taking his hand in hers.

"Honey, I love you. Never ever doubt that. And I do know what you're trying to say. Believe me, I know what it's like to lose someone you love. To know how precious life is. I know what I do can be dangerous, but that's not going to change whether we're living together or not. Clark, we don't need to live in the same apartment to be committed to each other. We don't need to rush into getting married. Besides," she said with a sly grin, running a finger down his chest, "it might be nice to have a little place we can, you know, retreat to when we want some alone time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Maddie, but I kind of like the fact that we can, you know, make love on the couch or the kitchen floor."

Clark chuckled. "You wouldn't be getting some kinky ideas there, would you Lane?"

She grinned and opened her door, stepping out of the car, then winked at him through the open door.

"Try me," she said.

Clark waited a few seconds, then got out of the car and pursued her up the pathway. Lois giggled as he trapped her against the door of her townhouse, pushing her hands up against the wood and proceeded to kiss the life out of her. He heard the sound of a door closing and realised someone was watching. Lois looked up, her chest heaving as she fought to get her breath back.

"Oh, hi Mr H."

The man stood a few feet away. He was probably in his late forties, tall and skinny, with short salt-and-pepper hair. He stared at them with a sombre expression.

"Miss Lane. You do know you're making a spectacle of yourself." At first, Clark thought the man was being totally serious, until he grinned at Clark. "It's about time someone caught her. You realise you've got your hands full."

Clark grinned at the other man. "Yeah, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Well, I have a date," Lois' neighbour said. "Congrats, by the way."

"Have fun on your date," Lois called as the man began walking along the path. Clark watched as a man a few years younger than the neighbour held a car door open. The two men kissed briefly before getting in the car.  
>Lois had pulled her keys out of her purse and opened her door.<p>

"That's the first time I've actually met one of your neighbours," Clark said.

"Yeah. Mr H has been here for years. He's really sweet. It's nice to see him dating again. He, uh, lost his partner ten years ago. AIDs."

Clark winced, feeling sympathy for the other man.

"That's awful," he said.

"Yeah. He was alone for the longest time. I guess he just didn't want to take the chance of getting hurt again, but then he met the guy he's seeing now and he seems really happy."

Clark followed her into the kitchen.

"Want something to drink?" she asked, bending to look in the refrigerator.

"No."

He turned her around and picked her up to sit her on the counter, kissing her hard. Lois wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, locking her legs behind his back. She seemed to have a thing for counter sex, he thought with a grin as he slowly slipped his hand beneath her short skirt to lightly graze her sex through her panties. Lois moaned, trying to push forward as if encouraging him to delve deeper. Clark had just managed to push her panties aside to insert a digit when his pants began to vibrate.

"Ignore it," Lois whispered against his mouth. Reluctantly, Clark began to pull away. "No, no, no, no," she said, sighing.

He sucked on his bottom lip. "I'm sorry," he said. "It might be important."

Lois pouted, reluctantly letting him go as he fished in his pocket for the phone. Clark looked at the display, then back at Lois.

"It's Bruce." He put it on speaker. "Bruce?"

"How soon can you get to Washington?"

"If we left now, five minutes."

"Good. I convinced my guy to speak with you, but he won't wait long."

"Where?"

"You know where the Vietnam memorial is?"

"Sure."

"Panel 44E." Bruce told him he'd told the contact they were already in Washington for a story, covering for them. "Get going."

Lois had already hopped off the counter and straightened her clothes. Clark hung up and slipped the phone back in his pocket.

"Let's go, honey," Lois said.

Clark nodded and followed her out the door. He quickly x-rayed the area, making sure no one was looking their way, and took his fiancée in his arms, launching himself into the air.

Within minutes, they landed in the nation's capitol. Clark made sure the coast was clear before he landed a short walk away from the memorial wall. The Lincoln Memorial was not far and was one of the most widely visited of all the monuments in the city.

Washington DC was an hour ahead of Kansas and the light was already beginning to fade. Still, there was plenty of light left for Clark to see the names on the wall as they walked along to locate the panel.

An older man stood reading the names on the panel. Clark immediately recognised him as an outspoken senator. The man seemed to be absorbed in reading as they approached.

"Know who that is?" the senator said, pointing to a name of a young man killed in 1967. Clark peered at the name. James Warren. "He was only nineteen. Helicopter was shot down. Crashed in the jungle. Took them three days to get the bodies out. Kid had been on his first tour. A year in Vietnam."

Clark wanted to ask what relevance it had to the story, but let the old man go on.

"He had dreams of being a reporter when he finished his tour. Would have been a good one too. He was always writing in a journal. Of course, a lot of what he wrote would probably be classified. No one wanted to tell the truth about Vietnam."

"You were there?" Lois asked quietly.

"I was his CO. Trask too. That man ... He's like a lot of them. Think they're goddamn Don Quixote. Seeing enemies where there ain't none."

The senator turned and looked at them.

"Your friend the Blur's made a few enemies up on the hill. They don't like vigilantes."

"Sir ..."

"I'm an old man, Mr Luthor. I don't care much what happens to me, but I do care about this country and what I see is this administration pandering to the whims of the likes of Jason Trask and his cronies."

"What's his problem?" Lois asked.

Clark nodded.

"Trask ain't right in the head. Got shot in the jungle. Man was lucky to be alive. Doctors put a plate in his head to cover the hole in his skull. Good thing the VCs had bad aim. Or maybe it wasn't such a good thing. He shoulda died there."

"Are there others like him?" Lois asked.

"Yeah, I would say so. Thing is, there's some who want someone like the Blur stopped."

"Why?"

"Because he works for himself. If he and his friends don't want to work for Uncle Sam, they don't work."

"Slade pretty much said the same thing."

"Slade Wilson was another one who weren't right in the head. Plumb crazy, if you ask me. Whoever knocked him off did the world a favour. Now, I ain't saying it's the Blur, but there's a rumour goin' round that someone's tryin' to pin it on him."

"The Blur didn't do it," Lois said.

"But you know who did," Clark prompted. He'd been carefully watching the old man's expression and his instinct told him the man knew more than he was telling.

"Like I said, I don't care what happens to me."

Clark frowned. It sounded almost like it was information that was valuable enough to kill for.

"We have friends who could protect you," he offered.

"I don't need it, son. I'm old. I have nothing left." Clark nodded. He'd read an article a few months ago that the senator's wife had died of cancer and their only child had been killed in a car accident thirty years earlier.

"Who did it, senator? Who killed Slade?"

"I can only tell you who gave the order. Who carried it out, well, that's for you to figure out."

"Who?" Lois asked.

"Ed Burke."

Clark frowned. "Why would he ..."

The senator glanced around, noticing more people walking along the path. He took something out of his pocket and bent down.

"I'm going to walk away now. We never had this conversation."

Clark frowned at the man, watching as he walked back up the path. He peered at the object the senator had left on the ground, then stepped forward to pick it up. Lois beat him to it.

"It's a micro-disk," she said.

"Let's get it to Watchtower," he replied, taking her hand. Lois tucked the disk into her blouse as they walked away from the crowds. Clark again checked the coast was clear and took off into the air.

Once at Watchtower, Lois handed him the disk and he put it in the drive, waiting for it to load. He frowned at what appeared on the monitor.

"It's encrypted," he said.

"Can you decipher it?"

"I can try," he answered. "It might take me a while. I'm not as good at this as Chloe."

"Maybe, but you are faster. I'm going to see what I can find out about Senator Burke in the Planet files."

He watched as she went to work on a computer on the other side, accessing the Daily Planet databanks. He turned back to the disk, looking for some clues in the code to help him decrypt the files. He was sure Chloe had downloaded a couple of programs to the Watchtower computers which would provide the decryption key and began checking through the files on the mainframe.

Clark typed in a few commands on the keyboard, trying to recall the last time Chloe had used decryption keys. He had almost a photographic memory but sometimes it did need a little nudge.

"Clark, I found something."

"What is it?"

"Senator Ed Burke was under investigation last year for misappropriation of funds. Only it doesn't say what the funds were for. The charges were never proven."

"Sounds to me like there was some sort of cover up."

"Yeah. Anyway, he's on the Defense Subcommittee in US Senate Appropriations."

"Defense?" Clark wondered if that was the connection to Slade. It still begged the question. Why had Burke ordered Slade's death?

The computer beeped and Clark turned back to it. A number of files appeared on the monitor. One of them was a video file and he opened it to find the senator's wizened face. As he watched the video, he realised it was a statement of sorts. The senator told how he had learned from a member of Ed Burke's staff that he had been supporting a military project initially developed by Lionel. After Lionel's death, the staff member had told the senator that Burke had been approached by Slade Wilson. The project was known as Ares, named after the Greek god of war.

Just a few days earlier, the senator claimed, he had been meeting with someone in the Capitol Building when he had spotted Burke arguing with Slade Wilson. The general had threatened to expose Burke's role in Project Ares unless the senator continued his support. The older senator had overheard Slade mention a bank account in the Caymans and that it would be a shame if Burke's 'nest egg' suddenly vanished.

Burke's staff member had then overheard Burke talking to someone on the phone in his office, suggesting that Slade should be 'retired'.

"This is dynamite stuff, kids," Perry told them the next morning when Clark related what they'd learned. "Still, you need some kind of proof that Senator Burke ordered Slade's death."

Lex nodded. He'd stood, leaning against the wall as he listened to the story.

"If we can backtrace the financials, we could at least prove that Senator Burke was paid off by someone. It may even lead to Lionel."

"It still doesn't tell us who carried out the contract," Perry said.

Clark sighed. All it really suggested was that Slade was in Washington days before his death.

"Have the police come up with any more leads?" Lex asked.

Clark shook his head. He'd called J'onn the night before, asking for more information about the witness, but the Martian enforcer wouldn't give it to him.

"How do we know this witness is legit?" Perry asked.

"That's a good question, Chief," Lois answered.

"Well, Jones isn't going to let us talk to the witness," Clark replied.

There was still one chance though, if J'onn was willing to do it. He could read the person's mind and see what they saw. That was if they were telling the truth. The problem was, J'onn considered it unethical.

There was a knock on the door and Clark turned.

"Enter!" Perry called.

Jimmy Olsen came in, looking nervous.

"Uh, there's someone to see you," he told Clark and Lois. "It's that detective."

"Jones?" Lois asked.

Jimmy nodded. Clark got up and clapped a hand gently on the boy's shoulder.

"Thanks Jimmy. Let's go see what he wants," he told Lois.

They went down to Lois' office where J'onn was waiting. Clark looked at him expectantly.

"I know what you're thinking, K ... Clark," the enforcer began, glancing uneasily out of the office to make sure he wasn't overheard, "but I'm not about to do what you request. I'm here for another purpose. I have been speaking to Ms Willis."

Lois frowned. "Livewire?"

The dark-skinned man nodded. "She saw the article on Slade and informed me that the general had visited the facility on several occasions."

That proved a connection between Slade and the project, but it still didn't prove who killed Slade.

"Who's the witness, J'onn?" Lois asked.

"You know I cannot divulge that information."

"C'mon, you gotta give us something. Is this guy legit or what?"

J'onn looked away. Clark stared at the back of the man's head for a long moment.

"You have your doubts," he said finally.

"The man is known to have an agenda against the Blur," J'onn told him. "I am beginning to doubt the validity of his statement. Given the information you sent through to my files last night, I am more certain the man did not witness Slade's death."

"Maybe he even killed Slade himself," Lois suggested.

"It is possible."

Clark wanted to know more, but it was clear J'onn wasn't about to give them any more than that. Lois slumped in her chair.

"Do you know what this means, Clark? We've got a story that has Pulitzer written all over it but the trouble is we can't print one iota of it because we don't have proof!"

Clark frowned at her. Was that really what it was all about for her? She wanted a Pulitzer?

"No," she said, getting up to wander over and sit in his lap. "I mean, sure, I think about it, but it's not about that. It's about getting justice. I mean, Slade was a creep and a jerk, but he didn't deserve to die like that."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

"I know, but the senator isn't going to play ball. He has to protect himself."

"So why would he give us the video file if he had no intention of coming forward?"

"I don't know. I mean, why would Burke suddenly decide Slade is such a liability that he has to get rid of him?"

"Well, maybe it's because of Jamison," Lois suggested. "I mean, think about it, honey. We expose Jamison for his part in the experiments, Slade panics and goes to ground and tries to get Burke to protect him. Burke can't afford the exposure, so he has someone kill Slade."

"Making sure that the Blur gets the blame for it. So he gets to basically kill two birds with one stone. The evidence that he's involved with Project Ares disappears and the proof dies with Slade. Meanwhile, by pointing the finger at me, he gets to go about his life without interference."

"If he can't control you, he'll destroy you."

"I guess that's about the gist of it."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sick of being two steps behind these guys. I think it's time we fight fire with fire."

"What are you suggesting?"

"We get the proof some other way."

"Lois, you're not thinking of doing what I think you're going to do, are you?"

She turned and grinned at him. "I don't know, Clark. What do you think I'm thinking of doing?"

"Lois ..." he warned.

She stood up, grabbing his hand. "Come on."

"And do what?"

"Ever been on a stake-out?"

"Oh no," he moaned.

"Well, it's either that or we break into the senator's office. It worked last time."

"Last time you almost got yourself killed, Lois!" he said.

"So? This time you'll be with me. Look, Senator Burke has been in town gearing up for a few political rallies and this is the perfect opportunity to see what else he's up to. I mean, I know it's a long shot, but what if J'onzz's mystery witness shows up."

She was right. It was a long shot, but it was better than sitting around waiting for J'onn to come up with the answers. Clark sighed. Sometimes it was better to just nod his head and go along with whatever she had planned because God knew what trouble she could get into with or without him.

Half an hour later, they were sitting in a car Lois had borrowed from the Daily Planet fleet. Lois handed him a tall coffee she'd bought from their favourite coffee shop.

"How long does a stake-out usually go for?" Clark asked.

"Some of them can go for days," she said casually.

"Lois, we are not going to sit here for days on end."

"Oh, honey, relax. I mean if Senator Burke is true to form then it won't be that long before he does something nefarious."

He looked at her. She looked completely at ease. It was fairly clear she had done this before.

"I worry about you sometimes, Lane," he sighed.

"Hey, you wanna marry me, you gotta take me, warts and all."

He shook his head. She was never going to change, but then again, it was one of the things he loved most about her. Even if it did mean she ended up in trouble more often than not.

A limousine pulled up in front of the office building and Lois clutched his arm. Clark saw the senator walk out with one of his security people and get in the car. He leaned forward as the limo began to move slowly forward.

"Don't say it," he said. "I know."

He started the car and pulled out, making sure there was at least one vehicle in between them and the limo. He followed the vehicle until it stopped outside a nightclub, then found a park where they could watch the club. Lois grabbed the camera from the backseat, attaching the telephoto lens.

"I wanna get a photo of everyone who goes inside that club," she said. "If the senator is involved in dirty dealings, chances are he'll meet with someone inside that club."

"You don't know that."

"Okay, I'm playing the odds, but it's worth a shot, honey."

Clark bit his lip and glanced at her dubiously. Then again, she had more experience at this than him. He sat quietly, observing her as she snapped off various shots, making comments as she did so.

It was an hour later when Lois sat up straight in her seat, snapping off a few shots in quick succession, then handed him the camera.

"Take a look," she said.

Clark accessed the memory card and looked at the shots she had taken. She had a close-up of a man standing at the door, talking to the bouncer. Clark frowned. He recognised the man. Former assistant DA Ray Sacks.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he asked.

Ray Sacks had always had an agenda against the Blur. A few months ago, the man had been arrested on suspicion of selling information to certain members of organised crime, helping them get off certain charges. He'd somehow managed to avoid conviction but had lost his job. Clark remembered the articles Lois had written and realised she had been investigating Sacks.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lois asked.

That would depend on what she was thinking. Clark wondered if Sacks had something to do with the latest plot against him. Sacks could very well be the mystery 'witness', or the man who had killed Slade.

"We have to get in there," Lois said.

"Lois, no, are you crazy? We can't just walk in there."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, it's a men only club," he said, narrowing his vision on the board outside which proclaimed no women allowed. "Are you forgetting about the Windgate?"

"No, I'm not forgetting that. Look, if we could just get a picture of Sacks and the senator together, we'd have enough to make Sacks' 'witness statement' look suspicious."

"That's not the point," he began, but she was already getting out of the car. Clark had no choice but to follow her as she made her way to the back entrance, avoiding the bouncers.

Clark's eyes widened as he realised exactly what they'd walked into. There were women in all kinds of costumes, from French maid outfits to tight leather. Some of them were leading men in various states of undress. More than a few of the men were already sporting tents in their pants.

"Lois," he hissed, "this is a fetish club!"

Lois looked at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"You mean in all your years of debauchery, you've never actually been in a fetish club?"

"Let's just say I prefer to roleplay in private."

She pouted sexily. "Mmm, what kind of role do you see me playing, Luthor?"

He had had a fantasy of her wearing nothing but a red silk sheet, he thought, but he decided to tease her just a little.

"Well, I do have this one that involves handcuffs, and, hmm, a little spanking."

"I wonder what other twisted fetishes you have hiding in your toolbox," she murmured, rubbing her hand up and down his covered crotch.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he murmured back.

She stood close to him, her lips so close to his ear he could feel her breath tickling him. A sudden smacking sound had them turning to look.

"Let's just find Sacks and the senator and get out of here," he whispered, but Lois was already moving into the main room. Clark groaned softly in exasperation, trying to follow as she disappeared through a doorway, until he was stopped by a woman wearing a leather corset and carrying a whip.

"Well, hello there, handsome, I haven't seen you in here before."

This was not the time for him to act shy, he thought, pulling himself up to his full height.

"Haven't been here before."

She ran a hand over his chest, purring as she traced his muscles.

"Well, I can fix that," she said seductively. "With a little ... correction."

Clark looked her up and down. The girl was attractive enough, but she didn't hold a candle to Lois Lane.

"What makes you think I need correcting?" he returned.

She chuckled. "Oh trust me, they all do."

She grasped the front of his shirt. Clark went along with it, still looking for Lois, hoping he wouldn't be recognised. No such luck, he sighed, as a man he had a brief acquaintance with called his name as he stepped into another room where men were being punished.

"Stepping out on the little woman already?" the man smirked.

Clark knew he had no choice but to act the part.

"You know women. Soon as you get the ring on their finger, they think they own you."

The woman who had dragged him into the room was suddenly pushed aside by a woman in a blonde wig wearing a mask over her face. Clark knew as soon as he saw those flashing hazel eyes he was in deep trouble.

"Why don't you go find someone else to play with, honey," Lois told the other woman. "This one here has been a very naughty boy. Haven't you?" she added with a glare and a smack of her the riding crop in her hand.

Clark could only nod dumbly, letting Lois pull him away. He studied her. Lois had clearly managed to find a costume as she was wearing a black leather corset which sat tight across her breasts, pushing them up to give him a good view of her cleavage. She had also somehow managed to find hot pants and knee-high leather boots with four inch heels.

"Admiring the view, darling?" she asked.

"Lo ..."

She turned and pressed a finger to his lips.

"Not a word," she whispered, her hand slipping down to capture his.

She paused beside the curtained entrance to a small alcove. Clark glanced through the gap as she pulled the curtain partially aside. The senator and Ray Sacks were inside, smoking cigars and drinking whiskey.

"I told you it would go off without a hitch," Sacks was saying.

"You're sure the police believed you?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Sacks smirked at the older man. "I might have lost my job and my reputation, thanks to that nosy Lane bitch, but I was never convicted. Now I'm just doing my duty as a citizen."

"Let's hope the Inquisitor keeps to its end of the deal."

"Don't worry, Ed, it'll be the main headline in tomorrow's news. The Blur sought in connection with the death of Slade Wilson. That'll take care of him. Now I just need to take care of Lane."

"Let's not forget who her father is. Not to mention her new boyfriend. The Luthors are powerful in this city."

"Maybe they were once, when the old man was alive. Not now though, now that Lex is in charge. I guess the apple fell far from the tree."

"Lex has been cleaning up Luthorcorp and cutting loose any old ties to Edge and anything to do with 33.1. Lucas was supposed to have taken care of all that."

"Never should have trusted that psychotic little freak with Project Ares," Sacks told him. "Or with Wilson."

"Both of them are taken care of," the senator returned. "You saw to that."

"You still owe me for that."

"The agreement was half for the job and the other half when the Blur was well and truly finished."

"That was not the agreement, Ed. It was five mill up front for getting rid of Slade. The Blur was just a bonus. You wouldn't be trying to back out of the deal, now would you?"

Clark stared at Lois. It sounded like the senator had paid Sacks to throw Slade off the building. The question was, did they have enough proof?

Lois gestured with her hand and he nodded. They needed to get out of there before someone began asking questions about why they were there.

They left the club and Clark drove back to the office. It was late, but there were still reporters working. Clark decided the best strategy was to call Bruce and Chloe and see if they could track the funds Senator Burke had been accused of 'misappropriating'. Lois quickly downloaded the recording of the conversation she had made on her phone and sent it to J'onn.

Clark was still worried. Since he'd been seen at the club, he knew there was every chance it would get back to the senator, or Sacks. He led Lois down to the parking level to pick up his car, listening for any trouble.

Sacks stepped from behind a pillar, a gun in his hand.

"You just can never leave things be, can you Lane?" he said.


	57. Vietnam

Lois eyed the gun, then shot a quick glance at Clark. There was no way Clark could move without Sacks figuring out he was the Blur, which was going to make it that much harder to keep his identity under wraps. He couldn't use his heat vision, since he'd have to lower his glasses to do so. She decided the best chance they had was to try and distract the man.

"Sacks," she said. "Has no one popped you yet?"

Sacks smirked at her. "That all you got, Lane?"

"Oh no, I got plenty, but I choose not to waste my breath on scum like you."

He glared. "You should have thought of that before you went and messed up my plans."

"What plans? The one where you skip town after having pinned the blame on the Blur for killing Slade Wilson?" Clark asked.

"The Blur did kill Slade. I saw him."

"Yeah, that would be so much more believable if it didn't come from a lying scumbag," Lois snorted. "We know you killed him. The question is why?"

"Think I'm gonna tell you that, Lane?"

"Oh I bet you will. 'Cause like a lot of your kind, you love to hear the sound of your own voice."

Sacks gestured with the gun. "Why don't the three of us take a walk," he suggested.

"Going to throw us off a building?" Lois snarked.

"Tempting, but no. Since that failed the first time."

Clark frowned at him. "First time? You tried to kill Lois last week," he said.

"Well, looks like you aren't just the muscle," Sacks smirked.

Lois narrowed her eyes at him. Much of what had happened before she had been knocked out was a blur, but she realised it was entirely possible Sacks had been behind the attempt on her life. He hadn't been alone then, though. Which made her wonder if someone else was in the parking garage.

"Don't even think it, Lane," the gunman warned her, grabbing her arm in a painful grip.

"Hey! Don't touch her!" Clark called out.

Sacks turned his gun on Clark, giving Lois the opportunity to grab his gun arm, forcing it down, while she swept her foot behind him, tripping him up. There was the sound of running footsteps and shouts, then the crack of a gunshot. The light overhead blew with a bright flash. Momentarily blinded, she felt something or someone push her aside, then the level was plunged into darkness. There were more sounds of footsteps and grunts of pain, then thuds.

"Lois?" Clark's call was frantic. She felt hands reaching for her in the darkness and fought them for a moment.

"Lois, honey, it's me. It's me. It's okay. I've got you."

She stopped fighting and let him pull her up.

"Darling, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Just a little winded." She blinked, trying to see in the darkness. "What happened?"

"As soon as you tripped Sacks I saw my chance and used my heat vision to blow the lights, but not before someone tried to shoot you."

Lois tensed at the sound of more footsteps, then a flashlight shone in the darkness.

"Mr Luthor, Miss Lane? You two all right?"

"We're fine, but I think you better call the police," Clark called.

Lois clung to her fiancé, letting him guide her in the darkness. It was a good thing he had enhanced visual capabilities, she thought.

"Uh oh," Clark murmured.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I think I knocked out a cop," he said.

She frowned at him. "A cop? Who?"

"Don't know his name but he was with Turpin at the hospital. When you were thrown off the building," he added.

Lois bit her lip. She vaguely recalled seeing a dark-haired officer with Dan Turpin that day, but for some reason his presence had bothered her.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked.

"I don't know. Something's bugging me."

She felt him pull her aside.

"Is there anything that comes to mind?"

"I don't know. I mean, everything's still a little fuzzy from that day. I think I remember Sacks, but ..." She shook her head, trying to clear it.

"It's all right. It'll come to you," he said softly. "I'd take you home, but we need to stick around for the police to arrive. They'll need statements."

The security guard waited with them, occasionally shining the flashlight on them to make sure they weren't injured, before returning the light to the two unconscious men on the floor. They were just starting to come to when the police arrived.

"You two just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?" Dan Turpin remarked when he took them out into the corridor to record their statements.

Lois smirked at him, but said nothing. Turpin's expression changed from a wry smile to a frown as he saw the face of the officer being taken out in handcuffs.

"Talbert?"

"Is he one of your squad?" Clark asked.

"Yeah. What happened?"

"He shot at Lois."

"You sure about that?" the blonde officer asked.

"One hundred percent certain," Clark returned.

They quickly told Turpin how they'd followed Senator Burke to the nightclub, then spotted Sacks.

"Let me guess. You followed Sacks into the club," Turpin sighed.

"Well ..." Lois began with a shrug.

"I don't think I really want to know," the man groaned. "You have a bad habit of finding trouble, Miss Lane, and you, Mr Luthor, I thought you were supposed to be keeping her out of trouble?"

"Have you been talking to my brother?" Clark grinned.

Turpin closed his notebook. "Well, I've got enough for a statement. It's late. Why don't you two come to the precinct tomorrow, give me a chance to write up the statements." He started to turn away to return to the scene, where forensics were taking photographs and measurements. "Just ... try and stay out of trouble for the night."

"My car's in there," Clark told him.

"Fine. Give me the keys and I'll get one of the guys to drive it out. Don't want you two messing up the crime scene."

Lois was exhausted by the time they returned to Clark's apartment. Maddie was home, working on her maths.

"I heard what happened," she said. "You guys okay?"

Lois shrugged, assuring the teen they were fine. It was just another incident in a long line of them. She'd made enemies along the way, especially for her exposés, and she was used to being attacked. Not that it got any easier, but she wasn't about to let some thug stop her from exposing the truth.

Clark hugged her from behind, pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

"Want some dinner?" he asked.

"Mm, I think you could tempt me," she said.

Clark took her hand. "Come on. I think it's time I actually introduced you to the fine art of cooking."

She balked. "Oh no. Clark, I burn water. You saw me cook eggs the other week. I nearly burned those."  
>He turned and grinned at her, cocking an eyebrow.<p>

"Not scared are you, Lane?"

"Me? Scared?" she said, still trying to hold back.

Maddie just sighed and shook her head as Clark pulled Lois into the kitchen. Lois knew what the girl was thinking. Some people were just nuts.

Clark tossed her an onion.

"You can start by cutting that up," he said.

Lois grimaced, watching as he went to the refrigerator and pulled out some chicken.

"What are we making?" she asked.

"Chicken Cacciatore," he said. He gestured toward the counter, then handed her a wooden chopping board. "Come on, Lo. The onion's not going to chop itself."

"I hate chopping onions," she said.

"Lois ..."

"What? Well, I do!" she replied, peeling the brown skin away from the onion.

"Well, there are a few tricks you can try."

"Like what?"

"Like chilling the onion for about fifteen minutes."

"Little late for that. Unless you use your freeze breath."

"Not unless you want solid ice," he told her.

"Well, there is that," she sighed. Okay, she was running out of excuses. She took the knife from the block and chopped the onion in half, glancing over to the other counter where Clark was chopping up tomatoes. She stood back and began roughly chopping without touching the vegetable.

Clark stopped what he was doing and stared at her.

"Lo, that is not how you chop onions."

"I don't want to get tears," she protested.

He sighed and put his own knife down, then came to stand behind her, his hand on her wrist as he pushed her gently forward, then guided her.

"Try breathing through your mouth, instead of your nose," he said. "Now, what you want is a nice, smooth motion." He demonstrated, showing her how to lift the knife and bring it down so the point stayed on the board. The knife was sharp enough so it cut smoothly.

Lois loved the feel of his hands on hers, the weight of his body behind her. She breathed in the scent of his cologne, faded, but still present. She so wanted to forget the cooking and just lose herself in him.

All too soon, she felt the loss of his withdrawal as he set about preparing the chicken, and beginning to cook. He guided her every step of the way, showing her how to chop the garlic and mushrooms, then leaving her to it. Lois had to admit that while she would never make a good cook, she liked the idea of them cooking together. There was something that was just so intimate about them preparing a meal together. There was also that feeling of satisfaction from completing the task and then sitting down to sample the results.

The taste of the tomatoes, herbs and garlic just exploded in her mouth.

"Oh," she sighed. "Oh, this is just ..."

"I know," he said. "I spent a couple of months in Italy and I worked for a guy who made his living growing herbs for the local restaurants. He taught me how to make this dish and the first time I tried it I was just blown away."

Lois remembered him talking about learning to make flapjacks when he'd been lumberjacking in Canada, and the few months he'd spent in Africa and India helping in some of the poorer communities, learning to make simple dishes.

"Why does everything come back to food with you?" she asked, snickering.

"Well, when you think about it, almost every community gathering revolves around food. It's probably the one thing that brings people together the most. A lot of third world countries have very strong traditions around sharing food. It's kind of an insult, really, if you refuse to eat the food they've cooked. I mean, I've been at some gatherings in some countries where I've been offered more food than they would eat in a month and I've been told they would be deeply offended if I declined. It's not the same in every country I've stayed in, but there have been a few."

Lois frowned. "Why would they do that? I mean, if these are poor people, why would they give you more food than they can manage? It doesn't make any sense."

"Honestly? I don't really understand it myself, but I guess it's their way of sharing a part of who they are."

Maddie was silent as she ate, although she was clearly enjoying the conversation. As they finished dinner and sat back, giving their stomachs time to settle before they cleared, Maddie looked at them.

"I wish I could do that some day," she said. "I'd really like to see the world."

"Well, Maddie, there's really nothing stopping you," Clark told her. "I think it would be a great experience for you."

"What about college? I thought you said my education was just as important?"

"Well, it's true. It is important that you get a good education, but who says it has to be through academic learning? You can learn so much about other cultures simply by being there, by living among them."

"You know, Maddie, that is so true," Lois told her.

Lois had always considered herself open to other cultures. She had never been able to understand why some people hated others for their differences. It wasn't just the colour of their skin, or their appearance. She also understood more now why Clark had often put up walls to protect himself. Having been exploited by his own father for his differences, he had chosen to hide behind those walls, rather than risk being rejected.

Maddie, she realised, was beginning to understand those same issues. She might have hidden abilities, but she had still been exploited for those abilities. It might be good for her to experience what life was like for others who wore their differences on the outside.

"Do you think ..." the teen began.

"What?"

"Well, what if I took a year off before I went to college and actually did all that. You know, travel to other countries."

"Maddie, I may be your legal guardian but I'm not your parent. The decision is yours to make."

She nodded. "I'm gonna think about it," she said. "I mean, I don't have to make any decisions right away."

Lois smiled at her fiancé. It was one of the things she loved about him. He stood up for what was right, but at the same time he didn't push people into thinking the way he did. He preferred guiding by being an example, but it was still up to others whether they followed that example.

She wondered sometimes if it was frustrating for him. He was so much stronger than most human beings, or at least ninety-nine percent of the planet's population, and he could have easily conquered the world. She supposed he had learned a harsh lesson from Lionel and the way the elder Luthor had treated his family.

Maddie offered to clean up after dinner and shooed them into the living room to relax. Lois snuggled up against Clark on the couch, happy just to be in his company. They watched television but Lois didn't really absorb what was on the screen, her mind on the way Clark was absently stroking up and down her arm.

"You know, something's been bugging me," he said, his gaze still on the flickering screen.

"What is it?"

"Why would Burke use someone like Sacks? What's the connection? Sacks wouldn't be involved in something like Project Ares."

Lois frowned. "You know, you're right. He wouldn't. Neither would Trask for that matter."

"I do believe Sacks was somehow involved with Intergang, which means he's connected to Marionette Ventures. That still leaves a loose end though."

"Maybe not," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, Lucas was part of Marionette Ventures, but the money behind it was Morgan Edge."

"Wasn't Edge in Vietnam?" Clark asked.

She frowned, trying to remember where they'd heard about Edge being in Vietnam.

"Do you have your notes here?" she asked.

"On the laptop in the office. Do you want to check it out?"

"Well, I know it's going to bug me until we figure it out," she said. "So I'm guessing it's the same for you."

Clark got up and took her hand, leading her into his office. She sat down beside him as he opened up his laptop and began accessing the files.

"Let's see what we've got on Morgan Edge," he said.

As she watched, he opened up an audio file. She remembered the recording they'd found when they'd been investigating the Windgate Club. Chloe had had it transferred to a media file.

They listened again to the recording. Lois pressed a hand on his arm to pause it as soon as Edge mentioned Vietnam.

"He built incendiary devices, right? So that has to mean he was part of a unit. Special Forces maybe?"

Clark nodded. "Slade and Trask both served in Vietnam. So did the senator. What's the betting they all served together?"

"Why don't I call my dad," she suggested quietly, but Clark shook his head.

"No. The less we involve your dad, the better. I think I'll give Bruce a call. I mean, it's still semi-theoretical, but there is a strong possibility of a connection."

They turned back to the computer to search through the notes again, but Maddie called them from the living room.

"You guys need to see this," she said.

Frowning, Lois went out to find the local news station was broadcasting a conference from Washington.

"We are asking the Blur to come forward and answer these charges," the man on the screen said, waving a sheaf of papers in the air. "If he, or she, is innocent in the death of General Slade Wilson, then they have nothing to fear."

"Yeah, right," Lois muttered. "It's a witch-hunt."

"They're just trying to get answers," Clark answered.

"You can't be thinking of turning yourself in, Clark. We know you're innocent. I mean, couldn't someone like J'onn vouch for you?"

"Not without exposing himself," Clark said. "People will start to question J'onn's integrity." He looked at her. "There's no way I'm going to let you be my alibi either. I'm not willing for you to expose yourself. If people knew how close you really were to the Blur, you would become a target."

"If Ray Sacks is in jail, then surely that would bring his whole statement about witnessing the Blur killing Slade into question," Maddie said.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Lois answered. "I should call that station and give them a piece of my mind."

"Honey, let's not get too hasty, all right?"

"Too hasty? Clark, they just appeared on national television basically accusing you of murder!"

"I know that, Lois, but what do you want me to do? The only way we're going to clear my name is to keep doing what we're doing, which is exposing the truth about Slade and his connection to Senator Burke."

Lois was still fuming the next day when they arrived at work. Perry and Lex had both left messages telling them they better get their asses to Perry's office as soon as they got in or there would be hell to pay.

She wasn't surprised to see both J'onn and Dan Turpin in Perry's office, as well as Mayson Drake.

"Hey, hey, the gang's all here," she murmured. Clark squeezed her hand lightly.

"About time you two showed up," Perry growled. "You wanna tell me what the hell you two were thinking going after Senator Burke?"

"We weren't going after him, exactly," Lois told the editor-in-chief.

"Don't split hairs, Lane," Lex said, looking more annoyed than she had seen him. "You not only went after Senator Burke, you just about got yourselves shot in the process. I don't know about you but I am not prepared to write a double obituary."

"Lex, we're fine," Clark said.

"I can see that you're fine, Clark, but this is getting beyond a joke." He looked at Mayson. "Do you want to jump in here?"

The blonde D.A. nodded.

"The police officer who shot at you both last night has been the subject of an internal investigation for several months. Detective Jones believed Talbert and at least two others were taking the law into their own hands. Several people suspected of various crimes suddenly disappeared, only for their bodies to turn up weeks later."

J'onn took up the story.

"One of those suspects was wanted for questioning in the death of Officer Turpin's partner. His body was found several miles downriver three weeks after he disappeared. The M.E. determined the man was shot with a nine millimetre handgun. Ballistics matched it to a weapon taken in a raid on a gang dealing in stolen weapons about a year ago. Talbert and his squad were leading the raid."

"So how did he end up hooking up with Sacks?" Lois asked, fearing she knew the answer already.

"We investigated Talbert's financial affairs and learned he was receiving large amounts of money every few weeks. We tracked the source to an account belonging to Mr Sacks."

Clark nodded. "So Talbert was working for Sacks."

"Which we've spent months trying to prove," Turpin told them. "Months of work which you nearly blew last night."

"Hey, how were we to know Sacks would bring in Talbert," Lois said with a shrug.

"You should have stayed out of it," J'onn told her firmly.

"You know we couldn't do that, not when Sacks was trying to frame the Blur."

"Sacks' witness statement has been discredited."

"Yeah, well, tell that to the guys in Washington," Lois said. "Or did you not see the tv last night."

"Of course we saw it, Lois," Lex said, "and we're doing everything we can to find out who leaked information that the Blur is wanted for questioning."

"The Blur's innocent," she told him.

Lex sighed. "I refuse to get in the middle of this. The Daily Planet cannot be seen as supporting the Blur, no matter how innocent we think he is."

Lois didn't fail to catch the glances between the brothers. Lex knew his brother would never do such a thing as commit murder, but he was clearly torn between protecting Clark's identity and protecting the integrity of the newspaper.

"We get that, Lex," Clark said quietly, "but we think there's a lot more to this than just trying to discredit the Blur. We think there is a deeper connection here."

"How so?"

"We're trying to look into Slade's military records, as well as Jason Trask. If we're right, then there is a connection to Morgan Edge going back to the Vietnam War."

"Are you sure about this, Luthor?" Perry asked.

"No, not totally," Clark said. "It's just a hunch right now."

"What do you need?" the editor asked.

"Time to figure this out, do a little more digging," Lois answered.

Jeff knocked on the door as they entered Lois' office, handing them a slip of paper.

"Hey, I'm not a message service," he said.

Lois frowned, looking down at the slip of paper. Bruce called. She looked up at Jeff.

"Thanks."

He scowled. "I don't know who that guy is, but he's got a real attitude problem. What's his deal?"

Lois bit back her reply, although she was tempted to tell the intern exactly who Bruce Wayne was. Jeff just snorted and left the room.

"You better call him," she told Clark softly. He nodded, dialling the number on his phone.

"Yeah, it's Clark. Uh-huh. Okay, email it to Lois' email."

Lois quickly logged in to her email. Within a few minutes, a message popped up to see she had a new email. Bruce had sent across some military records, including black and white candids. She looked through the shots and paused on one which showed a compound surrounded by ramshackle huts.

Clark sat beside her and glanced around, making sure he couldn't be seen, before taking off his glasses. She guessed he was using his micro-vision.

"That's Slade," he said, pointing to an area on the screen. "Right by those oil drums."

Lois looked at the man. He appeared to be watching something off-camera, smoking a cigarette, looking quite casual. It was Slade. A good forty years younger, but it was definitely him, she thought.

In the corner of the photo was another man who looked suspiciously like a young Jason Trask.

"Where were these taken?" she asked, then answered her own question by reading Bruce's email. The photos had been taken by a former photo-journalist, now retired, who had been sent to Vietnam by his editor to do a photo essay. The photos had been published in the Gotham Tribune. Bruce had provided the name and address of the photo journalist, who now lived in Metropolis.

"We should call him," Lois said.

Clark nodded. "Bruce is already way ahead of you. Or rather Chloe is. She contacted him and asked him to meet with us." He glanced at his watch. "Which gives us about an hour to get to his place."

"Then let's go," she said, grabbing her jacket.

"Not so fast," Clark said. "I'm just going to print these out and take them up to Perry."

She frowned at him. "Why? They're public record aren't they?"

"Humour me," he said.

Lois shrugged and waited while he printed the photographs and took them up to Perry's office. She wondered if he was being perhaps just a little paranoid. Then again, she supposed he didn't want to take any chances. Although Slade and Trask hadn't been identified in the photograph, they were easily recognisable, if someone was looking for proof of a connection.

He was back within two minutes, which had her wondering if he'd used super speed. She followed him out of the office and downstairs to the front entry where they hailed a cab.

The former photo-journalist, Pete Griffiths, lived in a retirement home on the west side of the city. Aged in his late eighties, the man was slightly built, his body ravaged by age and ill-health.

He peered curiously up at them through wire-rimmed glasses as they met him in the garden of the home. Lois stepped forward.

"Mr Griffiths? My name is Lois Lane."

"Lois Lane, hmm? Knew your old man. Of course that was years ago."

"You knew my father?" she asked, sitting down when he waved his hand toward the aluminium chair.

"Spent a couple of months in Russia right around the time Communism collapsed. Your old man was there. Peacekeeping, they called it." He snorted.

Clark sat next to Lois and the old man peered at him.

"Don't I know you?" he asked.

"I doubt it," Clark said. "My name's ..."

"Luthor. Yeah, I recognise your face. You were something of a hell-raiser a few years back, if I recall."

Clark grimaced. "We're not here to talk about my sordid past."

"No, you wanna talk about Vietnam. Funny, no one wanted to talk about it while it was happening and no one wants to talk about it now. Few years back, it was all everyone wanted to talk about. Now it's all Afghanistan and the Taleban."

"Sir ..." Clark began, clearly wanting to keep the man on track.

"Vietnam," he sighed. "Well, I spent a couple of years there documenting what was going on. Trouble is, the powers-that-be weren't interested in what was really going on. All they wanted was soldiers having a ball showing how great an adventure it was over there. No one wanted the reality."

"What was the reality?" Lois asked.

He peered at her, clearly thinking her question was naive, but she didn't care.

"Vietnam was dirty. It was full of dirty politics and shady deals and no one cared about the young boys who were going over there basically to die. No one cared about the kids too young to carry guns but they did it anyway. There were people making money from death and no one gave a shit because most of the money went into their coffers."

"We found this photo," Clark said, handing the man a copy of the photograph of Slade. "We were hoping we could talk to you about it."

He peered with interest at the image.

"Yeah, I remember that. The boys on R and R." He pointed to Slade. "Didn't I hear this one became a general somewhere along the line? He sure as hell weren't the smartest of guys, but he knew how to talk the talk. Went a little nuts near the end of the war. Hell, the war did that to a lot of 'em."

"What can you tell us about him?"

"Slade? Well, he was working with a bunch of 'em. Called them 'special ops' or something. There was this one boy, don't remember his name, but he was some kind of specialist. Made bombs, I think. Was real good at it. I 'member him braggin' about it in the bar a few times, how one of his dirty bombs took down an entire village."

Lois glanced at Clark. He was clearly thinking the same thing. The problem was, they were just assuming it was Morgan Edge.

"Would you recognise the man if we showed you a photo?" Clark asked.

Griffiths looked at him as if he was nuts.

"Boy, we're talking forty years ago and the memory ain't what it used to be." He sighed. "It's hell getting old."

"Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Look, I don't know much and I'd just deny it if they asked me, but there were rumours that some of 'em were involved in some kind of smuggling ring. Hell, most of us who were there thought that was what the war was all about anyway."

"Smuggling? What? You mean drugs?" Lois asked.

"Like I told you, I don't know much, but that there Slade, he and his boys were more interested in the drug trade than their special ops. What I hear, they managed to bring back enough for them to make themselves a nice tidy little nest egg."

There was that phrase again, she thought. 'Nest egg'. She wondered if there was any kind of connection to Senator Burke's little nest egg.

They tried to get Griffiths to positively identify Trask, or Edge for that matter, but the old man seemed to go off into a world of his own and they weren't able to get any more out of him. It still didn't give them any proof that Slade had been involved with Edge while in Vietnam and as far as she was concerned it was just another dead end.

She sighed as they returned to the office.

"Well, that was 'useful'," she said sarcastically.

"Not necessarily," Clark told her.

"Come on, Clark, the only thing the man's confirmed is that Slade was crazy. We still don't have a connection to Trask or to Edge."

"Then maybe we need to shake down Edge," he said.

"How exactly are we going to do that? The man's in custody."

Clark didn't have the opportunity to reply as Lex came in, shutting the door.

"We need to talk," he said.

"What's wrong, Lex?" Clark asked.

"The Inquisitor ran a story this morning naming the Blur as the chief suspect in Slade Wilson's murder." He raised a hand as Lois opened her mouth to object. "Before you start going off on a rant like you usually do, Lois, I'm taking this very seriously. Someone wants the Blur out of the way."

"Lex, we know all this already," Clark told his brother. Lois glanced at him, but since she didn't want Lex to keep shutting her down, she stayed silent.

"Clark, I don't think you're hearing me. If they're prepared to frame the Blur for something he ... you didn't do, then imagine what lengths they'd be prepared to go to to get you out of the way permanently. If we thought the last several weeks were bad, this could be worse. I meant what I said, Clark. I don't want to be writing your obituary."

Lois realised something which Lex was obviously not prepared to admit. He was scared. He'd almost lost his daughter a few weeks ago and now he was worried he was going to lose his brother.

"I'm not going to let that happen, Lex," Clark said quietly.

"You can't predict these things, Clark. If Lucas is part of this whole conspiracy, then it puts every one of us in danger. Imagine what the government would do if Lucas suddenly decided to reveal your identity to them in order to make a deal. Where would we be then?"

"Well, then, someone needs to take Lucas out of the equation," Lois said.


	58. Blur

Lex and Clark stared at her. Was she really thinking what he thought she was thinking? Clark wondered.

Lois shrugged.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, "but I'm not talking about that. I mean, there's gotta be a way to stop Lucas from spilling the beans. Like, I don't know, a memory drug or something."

Lex looked at him thoughtfully.

"You know, there might be something in that."

"Wait a minute, Lex, you're talking about some kind of memory wipe. That would be like playing God."

"Well, think about this, Clark. If Lucas told every crook exactly who you were, they'd all come gunning for you. Lena wouldn't be safe and Lois sure as hell wouldn't be."

"I'm not going to go wipe his memory just to protect my secret. Besides, Lucas would get off on the fact that he knows something no one else knows."

"I doubt that," Lois answered, "since he must have told Edge."

"How do we know it was Lucas who told Edge the truth about me?" Clark pointed out. "Maybe Dad told him. We don't really know what happened."

"Actually, Lois, Clark makes a valid point. Lucas now has power over Clark simply by the fact that he's holding back vital information any crook in Metropolis would kill for."

Clark didn't like it, but Lex had basically hit the nail on the head. Lucas could hold the fact that he knew Clark was the Blur over Clark's head, threatening the family if Clark didn't do what he wanted. It was surprising, really, that Lucas hadn't tried to do any kind of deal to get released from prison, since he supposedly held all the cards.

He could see Lois biting her lip and knew it worried her, but the last thing he wanted to do was something dirty or underhanded just to protect his secret.

He remembered an incident several years earlier when a cop who had been paid by Lionel had discovered his secret. The cop, Sam Phelan, had become greedy and the money Lionel had paid him to keep his sons' activities out of the courts was clearly not enough, so he had blackmailed Clark into helping him steal a jewelled breastplate on exhibition at the Metropolis Museum.

Clark had wanted to tell his brother, but at the time, they had barely been speaking. Lex had still been annoyed at Lionel for making him 'babysit' his younger brother, as well as sending him to the miserable excuse for a town, and Clark hadn't felt he could turn to him. He had tried handling the problem himself, by trying to set Phelan up, but it had backfired when Phelan had threatened to kill Lex. They might not exactly have been friends then, but Clark wasn't about to let his brother be murdered.

Eventually, Lex had begun to suspect something was up and had followed Phelan when the police detective had driven Clark to the museum.

That incident had ended in disaster for Phelan and with Lex reading Clark the riot act. When Lionel had found out, he not only reiterated everything Lex had told him off for, but had also seen to it that any other potential threats were taken care of the moment they appeared. Lionel had told him that no one should be able to control him. Except Lionel himself, of course.

"This doesn't make me feel any better," Lois said, almost pouting. "In fact, it makes me feel worse."

"I'm not about to do something underhanded just to make sure Lucas keeps his mouth shut," Clark told her.

"Well, someone has to do something. I don't like the idea of him holding it over your head, or threatening me or anyone else."

"What would you like me to do?" he growled at her, withdrawing when he saw her eyes widen. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the answers. Do you think it doesn't worry me? Of course it does, but short of going after every person who knows my secret and might be a threat, I really don't know what else to do."

Lex nodded. "Well, it's your decision, Clark. If it was me, well, I wouldn't give a damn about Lucas' rights. He murdered Tess and Helen and kidnapped Lena. As far as I'm concerned he doesn't deserve any kind of leniency."

"But that's the difference between us and him, Lex. Maybe he doesn't deserve it, but we cannot be judge and jury."

"I wish I could," Lois said darkly.

"Anyway, Lex, we talked to the photographer, but he couldn't give us a definite link between Morgan Edge and Slade."

"What about their military records?"

"If they were on special ops, that information would be classified," Lois answered.

"Yes, but surely it would be declassified by now," Lex replied. "It's been forty years."

She looked thoughtful. "Hmm, you're right. I mean, I don't think there'd be anything that would come under the exemption. I still think we should talk to my dad about this."

Clark shook his head. "I really don't want to involve your dad in this. I mean, besides the fact that he doesn't trust the Blur, he's already given us enough that he could be in serious trouble with his bosses."

"Keep digging into the military records," Lex said. "If that doesn't reveal anything then see if you can find someone who does know what happened in Vietnam."

"What are we going to do about the story in the Inquisitor?" Lois asked.

"Lois, I know how you feel, but the Daily Planet has to remain neutral."

"So you're just going to let them print lies?" she accused Lex.

"No, I'm not. Which is why we're going to print with the story the senator told you. Talk to Jones and Dan Turpin and see if they will give you some quotes."

That was going to be easier said than done, Clark thought as they contacted the two officers. J'onn might be one of the superheroes, but he was still reluctant to go on record defending the Blur. Turpin, as well, wasn't willing to say anything printable, since the matter was still being investigated.

In the end, they decided to stick to what the senator had alleged and kept the conversation they had recorded out of the story, only saying that Ray Sacks and Ed Burke were under investigation by authorities as new suspects in the death of Slade Wilson.

The response to the Inquisitor article was huge. Letters and emails poured in to the Daily Planet the next day, both defending the Blur and denouncing him at the same time. Each missive that came in was passed on to him by Lex and within an hour the email inbox was full.

Lois looked on, her expression stunned.

"Oh my god, Clark, look at this! There are literally hundreds of messages."

"I know," he said. "Look at this one: _'The Blur is a hero, not a murderer. He's saved a lot of people in this city on numerous occasions and I know he would never hurt someone, no matter what'._"

"You should read this one: _'The Blur is nothing more than a vigilante and he should be called to account for his actions. No one should be allowed to take the law into their own hands'_."

It seemed the issue had divided Metropolis, even if the majority opinion seemed to be defending him. While Clark was grateful for the way people came out in support of him, he couldn't help thinking that it wouldn't do much good. There had been talk of the government making it compulsory for anyone of the super-powered persuasion to register not only their abilities, but for their activities to be strongly regulated. He'd heard that Slade Wilson had proposed it but with his death it had been put on the back-burner, until a gung-ho senator had got on his soapbox and used the murder as the launching pad for his own crusade against superheroes.

Lois was furious, especially when her own father was quoted as saying it was a measure that was for the good of the country.

"The good of the country?" she fumed, throwing the paper down on the table. "I feel like giving him a piece of my mind."

"Lo, come on, what good is that going to do?"

"Well, it will make me feel better."

Clark sighed, stirring his coffee. "I hate to say it, but Bruce is talking about going into hiding if they pass that Bill."

"No Batman?"

"Nope. Problem is, the criminal fraternity in Gotham is already taking advantage of it."

Clark had flown to Gotham the night before to help Bruce when Mr Freeze, Riddler and the Penguin decided to try their luck.

"Why is this happening?" Lois sighed.

"Let's face it, Lois, since 9/11 people have become increasingly more paranoid, and far more protective of themselves."

The worst part was Clark could have gone to help when he'd heard about the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, but he'd been too much of a spoiled brat in those days to even care about something that was happening over a thousand miles away.

"Don't do that," Lois told him, seeing his expression.

"Don't do what?"

"Don't go feeling all guilty because you weren't there. You were a kid and you barely had control of your powers then. What could you have done? Really?"

"I could have tried."

"Yeah, and the government would have had you in a lab faster than you could blink."

"I don't know I can blink pretty fast."

"Honey, that's not the point," she sighed. "I mean, you're right about people being more protective since then. They have to be. It's just ..."

"What?"

"I think they've lost hope."

"This is you trying to persuade me to become Superman again, isn't it?" he said.

He'd been avoiding the whole question of Superman. It wasn't that he didn't want to be out there helping people, and he still did as the Blur, although he was far more careful about being seen. He still didn't like the idea of messing with people's heads just to protect his identity.

Lois got up and sat in his lap.

"Honey, I know you don't like the idea, but I don't think we have any other choice now. If they bring in this Vigilante Registration thing, it's really going to put a damper on everything the Blur does. I mean, Slade might have been the chief instigator of this thing and it might have been stalled because of his death, but sooner or later they're going to vote on it and then they'll be coming for you." She kissed him gently. "And if they do that, I won't be held responsible for my actions."

He grinned at her. "What are you going to do, Lois? Break me out?"

"Damn right I will. With an Uzi if I have to. Nobody, and I mean nobody, tries to experiment on my man."

He kissed her back. He might be considered Earth's greatest protector by his birth father, but here was his protector. Lois had appointed herself his own personal saviour and he had no doubt she would carry out her threat.

Just as they were about to get in to some serious making out, Clark heard a cry for help. He sighed, gently pushing Lois off his lap.

"Sorry darling," he said. "Sounds like duty calls."

Lois sighed, but nodded reluctantly.

He sped into the bedroom and changed quickly into his Blur outfit, flying out from the balcony to take care of the carjacking. As soon as he stopped that, he heard a four alarm call for a fire downtown. When he arrived, he could see someone trapped on the top floor of the building, held back by smoke and flames. He worked to clear a path so they could get through, but they were too frightened.

"Come on," he said, deepening his voice. "It's all right."

The woman cowered, holding a bundle in her arms. Clark x-rayed and realised it was a baby, no older than about three months. The mother said something which Clark realised was not in English. Hispanic, possibly, he thought. He again reassured her, speaking in her own language. She tentatively began to move forward, then screamed as a piece of the ceiling caved in about a foot from her. Clark realised he had no choice but to move closer. He put his arms around the woman, telling her again in her own language it would be all right, and held her firmly as he sped out of the building.

Once they were down on the ground, she stared at him, her eyes bloodshot and streaming from the smoke, her face blackened by soot, thanking him effusively. He tried to pull away to let the paramedics tend to her, but she clung to him. It wasn't until the medic touched her and led her away to be examined that she finally let go.

He realised it was too late to try and hide his face.

"Thanks," he told Clark. "They couldn't get through. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't got her out of there."

"Just doing what I can to help," Clark answered, still in his deep voice.

"Well, I don't care what those government types say. I wish there were more people like you around. This city needs you."

Clark nodded, turning away from the man, taking off into the air. He glanced back. The medic was still watching him, his expression full of awe.

He had hoped to head back home, but it was not to be. There had been an accident on the highway and a person trapped in a vehicle. Emergency services were in a quandary as they realised they could not use their tools on the vehicle without injuring the driver further. Clark quickly examined the scene, using his enhanced vision, then tore a hole in the roof before pulling at the steering wheel trapping the man. He stepped back to allow the workers to move in. Just as he was about to pull away, he felt a tug on his arm.

Clark looked down at the little girl, who was about five or six years old. Her face was cut from broken glass, her blonde curls matted with blood. She'd clearly been in the accident.

"Is my daddy gonna be okay?" she asked, her eyes huge as she stared toward the car.

Clark listened for a moment, hearing the man's heartbeat. It was regular, although a little weak. Still, the medics working on him were optimistic about his chances.

"I think so," he said. "They'll take care of him."

"Thank you," she said, crooking her finger. He bent down and she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for helping my daddy."

Clark put the incident in the back of his mind as he returned home to shower. He and Lois had made plans with Lex to take Lena out to a carnival in Granville. Since the last fair she'd gone to had been so disastrous, Lex had wanted to try to erase Lena's memory of that day by giving her new ones.

Martha and Jonathan had also decided to come along, leaving their grocery store in the care of a friend who often took over when they needed to go out. Their own son, Clark, was also coming along, albeit a little reluctantly.

Maddie was still deep in the books when Clark emerged from the bedroom in jeans and a grey t-shirt.

"Maddie, why don't you come with us?" Lois asked. "It'll be fun."

"A carnival? I don't know."

"Maddie, you can't stay cooped up in here all day," Clark told her. "You've been studying all week. You need to take a break."

"My test is coming up in a couple of weeks. I want to be ready."

"It's only going to be for a few hours, Maddie. Trust me, too much studying can sometimes be as bad as not enough."

"Says the man who practically has a photographic memory," Lois commented.

Clark lightly pinched her butt, making her squeal.

"Watch it, Luthor."

"What are you gonna do about it, Lane?" he asked.

"I have my ways," she told him dryly.

"Like what?" he challenged.

"How about no nookie for a week," she teased. He responded by grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into him, kissing her deeply. Lois laughed, returning the kiss, her hand on his ass. Maddie stood, grumbling in protest.

"Ugh, all right, I'll go, but will you please stop macking on each other in front of me? I'm an impressionable teenager you know."

Clark looked around at her and grinned. It wasn't that his ward was uncomfortable with it, but like any teenager, she couldn't face the idea of her 'parents' making out.

By the time they got to the common where the carnival was being held, Maddie seemed to be in a lighter mood. Clark had noticed her tension over the past week and knew she was getting nervous about sitting her GED. He might not have had to study as hard as the other students in his class, but there were still some subjects that he had had to work hard for, and he knew the pressure she was under. He knew if she hadn't taken a break, she might have 'exploded', doing something like using her powers, which was hardly wise.

Lex and Lena were waiting for them in the parking lot. Clark was surprised to see Mayson with his brother, since Lex had barely mentioned the lawyer in the past week or so. He had wondered if the two were no longer dating, but he supposed that things had just been so hectic lately that Lex hadn't had much time to devote to his social life.

Lena, on the other hand, seemed delighted that her father had chosen to forego work for a change and spend the Saturday with her. She skipped ahead of them, singing happily to herself. When she spotted Martha and Jonathan, she squealed excitedly.

"Aunt Martha, Uncle Jonathan, you came, you came!"

Martha laughed. "Of course we came, munchkin," she said.

Lex smiled at the older couple gratefully. He'd told Clark when he'd mentioned the older couple were going to meet them at the carnival that he'd had them over for dinner a couple of times, since Lena had talked non-stop about them at dinner after the day she'd spent with them. He and Jonathan had had a long talk about Lionel and what had happened in Smallville and cleared the air. Jonathan no longer thought the brothers were anything like their father and was becoming a good friend.

As Clark held Lois' hand and followed his brother and the Kents along past the booths, he noticed Maddie looking shyly at the Kents' son. The college senior appeared to return her interest.

Lois nudged him, glancing at the teenage girl and smiling. Maddie and Clark were talking quietly as they wandered along, getting to know each other. Lois seemed thrilled with the budding romance.

"Lois," he said quietly.

"What? I didn't say a word," she said.

"You didn't have to. They've only just met."

"So? I think it's sweet that she has someone close to her own age to talk to."

The day turned out to be hot and sticky, but Lena didn't seem to care. She was clearly having too good a time with her family around her. She happily let her Uncle Jonathan guide her as she played some of the carnival games, not even noticing when her father paid for ticket after ticket until she managed to win.

Lex tried to protest when she begged for corn dogs and cotton candy, telling her they weren't exactly healthy, but Clark knew his brother could be a softy when it came to his daughter. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy.

By the time they made it back to Lex's for dinner, Lena was so exhausted she fell asleep in the middle of eating and Lex had to carry her to bed.

Jonathan and Martha smiled at Lex when he returned.

"Looks like you tired her out."

"She's not the only one exhausted from the day," he said wearily, rubbing a hand over his scalp. "I swear, I don't know where she gets the energy."

"Still, it looks like she enjoyed herself," Clark told his brother.

"It was a nice day," Maddie said softly. "You were right. I did need to take a break."

"How is the studying going?" Jonathan asked.

"It's okay. I'm a little freaked out about the test and everything, but ..."

"Well, you know, if you need any help with anything, I'd be willing to come over. After work, I mean," the younger Clark said.

Clark caught Lois' grin and nudged her. Lex nodded at the younger boy.

"I've heard the manager is very impressed with your work so far."

"Thanks for helping me get the internship, Mr Luthor."

"Please, call me Lex, and don't give me all the credit. You got the internship on your own merits, and a glowing recommendation from your professor."

"Well, I appreciate it all the same."

"So, how are things at the Planet?" Martha asked Lois. "Have things quietened down?"

"Not really," she said. "We're still chasing up leads on the connections between Morgan Edge and Slade Wilson, and there's still the Bill which is supposed to be going through a reading in Congress in a couple of weeks."

"Are you talking about the Vigilante Registration Bill?" Jonathan asked. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, the whole thing is all bull. You know what I think the problem is? I think those government ass ... idiots," he amended, "have egg all over their faces because people like the Blur are out there doing their job for them."

"What do you mean, Jonathan?" Clark asked.

"Well, the Blur's out there protecting people and what's the government doing? Nothing. They keep talking about budget cuts in law enforcement all over the country. The fact is, if they weren't so busy thinking about lining their own pockets and instead putting the money where it's needed most, then we wouldn't need the Blur so much, would we?"

"Well, that is true, Jonathan, but ..."

"Look, I don't talk about this much, but about a year ago, a kid tried to rob our store. He held a gun to Martha's head and there was nothing I could do about it except give the kid the money. I swear for a moment he was gonna shoot her anyway, then there's this crash and the kid's on the floor with his gun twisted like a pretzel."

"Are you saying the Blur saved you?" Lois asked. "I had no idea."

"Like I said, I don't talk about it much, but I feel like I owe the Blur. I just wish I could meet the man face-to-face so I could shake his hand."

Clark glanced at Lois, swallowing a hard lump in his throat. He didn't usually stick around for accolades, but after the two incidents today and then hearing Jonathan's gratitude, he couldn't help but think that this was what it was all about.

He lay in bed that night with Lois' head on his chest. She gently stroked him.

"Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet since dinner."

"Just thinking. You know about Jonathan and what he said."

"I didn't know you saved their store."

"To tell the truth, I had forgotten about it. Well, not really. I mean, I sort of remember every save I make, but I had forgotten it was them. Did I tell you I also managed to get back his wallet when Bart stole it from him?"

"No, but it sounds like something you would do." She leaned on her elbow, looking up at him. "Honey, what is it? It feels like there's something bothering you."

"It's not that. It's just ... I guess I understand now what you've been saying all along. People need someone to believe in. Not just a shadow in the darkness or a blur. Something tangible. Like Jonathan says, someone he can go up to and shake their hand."

"So what do you want to do about it?"

"I think it's time, Lois. I think it's time I became Superman."


	59. Costume

Once the decision was made, Lois knew it wouldn't be long before Superman made his debut. The only thing left to do was make sure Clark had a costume that would inspire the masses. The black ensemble he had once worn had been good, but the red jacket just seemed to symbolise more ... She didn't know exactly, but it seemed more 'hopeful'.

They'd been talking back and forth about it for a week, between investigating more of Edge's background, while waiting for someone in government circles to allow them access to military backgrounds. Despite the fact they'd confirmed that even some of the secret missions the men were sent on in Vietnam had been declassified, it was clear that someone in Washington was stalling for time.

They sat on the couch in the apartment, boxes from Chinese take-out scattered on the coffee table. Maddie had gone over to the Kents' house to study with their son.

"I don't know, Lois," Clark sighed as he looked over the designs she had come up with.

"Look, remember all those old movies where the bad guys always wore black?"

"Not always, Lois."

"Come on, honey, in the old days when they weren't thinking about stereotypes, the bad guys always wore black because it represented the dark side. I mean, if you wanna get all biblical, why is Jesus always depicted as wearing white?"

"I don't know. Maybe because he lived in desert country?"

Lois rolled her eyes at him. Why was he resisting this?

"Smartass. White reflects light, while black absorbs it."

"There's no way I'm wearing a white costume," he objected, looking down at the rough sketch she'd made of a tunic and tight pants, all in white. "I'd look like Elvis in a bad 70s flashback."

Which was just all kinds of wrong. It didn't stop her from punching him in the shoulder. He pretended to wince and rubbed his arm. Lois sighed.

"Well, honey, you can't go back to wearing black. How are people going to trust you if you wear black?"

"Batman wears black."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you seen his approval ratings?"

"Uh, no."

"The criminals hate him and the people fear him. Those that haven't been saved by him, anyway."

"That was kind of the point," he told her.

"Well, I'm fresh out of ideas."

He bit his lip, looking thoughtful.

"Jor-El told me there was some kind of battle uniform they wore on Krypton."

"Battle? Clark, honey, you're not going into battle."

"That would depend on your perspective."

"All right. So, what's your idea?"

He picked up the sketch pad and quickly drew something. He was finished in seconds, putting the pad down on the table in front of her. Lois saw it was a fairly tight costume, similar to the white one, except it was in blue, covering his whole body, with a blood red cape and boots. The symbol of his family adorned the chest and a codpiece in a similar blue to the rest of the suit covered his groin. A red belt trimmed in gold with a gold buckle sat at the waist.

She nodded. "Better. Although, don't you think you should have, I don't know, like shorts or something?"

Clark grimaced.

"It would look like underwear on the outside. Besides, Batman doesn't."

Lois studied the drawing. It did look a little similar to Batman's outfit, except his chest had armour plating.

"Okay, so let's talk fabrics."

"I can ask Jor-El what they would use for their battle gear and see if we can find something similar. Probably, I don't know, spandex. It's tight, but it stretches."

"Yeah, but you don't want to look like one of those musclemen from like the circus or something. Besides, how would the material stand up to bullets or something? I mean, we don't want to be constantly mending it."

"I don't know. Maybe I'll have to ask Jor-El that too."

"Well, then we should go ask Jor-El," she said.

He looked at her askance. "What do you mean, 'we'?"

"Clark, we're in this together, or have you forgotten that?"

"No, I haven't forgotten, but I just thought this was something I should do alone."

Lois bit her lip. While she understood that he sometimes didn't completely trust the AI of his birth father, she had always assumed they would work on this together and it stung a little that he wanted to go to the fortress without her.

Clark seemed to sense what she was thinking as he moved closer, taking her hands in his.

"Darling, I know you want to help, and you are helping, but ... I don't want you to feel that I'm shutting you out by going to the fortress alone. The truth is ... the truth is the thought of what might happen once I become Superman scares the hell out of me. I don't know how people are going to react once they see me. Not everyone is going to be as welcoming as those rescue workers or that little girl. I'm just not sure everyone's ready to believe in a stranger from a strange land."

She pressed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"If they knew the real Clark Luthor, then I am sure the rest of the world will believe in you as much as I do."

He smiled tenderly.

"I love that you support me in this, but this fear is something I have to deal with. It's something you can't help me with."

"Baby, I know you're anxious, but that's why you've got me, okay? I don't mean to come off all Lois, and push you into something you're not ready for ..."

"That's the thing. I am ready. I think I've been ready for years, I just haven't had the courage to take that final step. You know, it's like Maddie with her test. You can study and know the material, but once you get into that exam room, you freeze."

She could understand the analogy. Coming out as Superman would be akin to a final exam for Clark, knowing that he would be judged not only for how he looked, but how he behaved. The Blur had been criticised for his tendency to stay in the shadows, with people wondering what his real agenda was by not showing his face. People tended to fear the darkness, thinking it was something bad, something not to be trusted.

She squeezed his hands, assuring him that she understood.

"When do you want to go to the fortress?" she asked, glancing out through the terrace doors at the darkened sky.

"I'll go tomorrow. Early. Since it's Saturday tomorrow, we don't have to go to work."

"Not unless something comes up." She ran her hand down his chest to cup his groin.

"Lois!" he said, bolting up in surprise. She got up, grinning at him.

"Well, it's like I said, if something comes up ..."

"You are a very bad girl," he told her, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Who? Sweet, little innocent ol' me?" she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Innocent my ass!" he answered. "You are in for some very dire punishment, Miss Lane!"

"Promises, promises," she drawled, running her hand down his torso again, jerking at the belt of his dress trousers, loosening them enough so she could get her hand in-between. She smirked up at him. "C'mon Luthor. Put your money where your mouth is."

He growled softly, shaking his head.

"You should know never to dare a Luthor!"

Before she could blink, he had her out of her clothes and stretched naked and facedown over his lap. She felt him stroking the globes of her ass.

"Going to spank me, Luthor?" she said, aware she was already pushing the envelope.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you," he replied. "Think you've got me pegged, don't you Lane?"

She turned her head to smirk at him.

"Well, I do don't I?" She shivered as he continued caressing her ass, squeezing now and again. He bent his head and placed a kiss on each cheek.

She squirmed in his lap as his fingers slipped underneath to tease her with just the lightest of touches. He kept his other hand on her back, keeping her from arching up.

She was already aware of Clark's arousal pushing against the fly of his black pants, but he seemed to be in no hurry as he continued to stroke her so gently it was like he'd been stroking her with a feather. Teasing strokes that made her squirm again, desperate for more of his touch. Still, Clark refused to take the bait, keeping a firm hold on her so she was unable to move.

"Claaark!" she moaned. "Please, please, please ..."

"I told you not to dare me, Lois," he answered, sounding totally unrepentant.

She turned her head again and glared at him fiercely.

"I hate you!"

"You love me."

"Nuh-uh!" She had no chance to say anything further as the hand on her back began stroking its way down, still light, still teasing, but enough to elicit a quiet moan from her. She knew he wanted her to beg for whatever he wanted to dish out and part of her wanted to rebel, but those light touches were driving her crazy.

"Clark!"

"What do you want, Lois?" he said softly, almost in her ear. "Tell me."

"Touch me."

"I am touching you. You need to be more specific."

"Touch me harder."

"Where Lois?" he answered, sounding as if he was enjoying this just a little too much.

She remembered the night they'd talked dirty to each other. She'd had little practice at talking dirty before that night, but she'd loved the idea of dirty talk getting him all hot and bothered.

"I'm not hearing an answer," he responded.

"I want your hand on my pussy, is that specific enough for you?" she ground out.

"Mmm-maybe, maybe not."

"Clark Luthor, I swear I'm going to find some green Kryptonite and ... ohhhh," she moaned as he placed his hand exactly where she wanted. She felt him thrust his fingers inside her, aiming for that one spot which always drove her wild. She squirmed once again on his lap, her breath coming in gasps, her whole nervous system zinging in anticipation as her body responded to him.

His thrusts became harder and faster until the only thing she could focus her mind on was that powerful hand inside her. Just when she thought she would break apart in his skilful hands he withdrew.

"What?" she asked, her mind a fog of confusion.

"Told you you needed to be punished," he smirked down at her.

She found herself unceremoniously dumped on the floor. She glared at him as he began gathering up the remains of their takeout to throw it out in the trash.

For once, Lois wished she was the one with the heat vision as she narrowed her eyes at his retreating back. Lois Lane did not take that from anyone, not even from the love of her life.

Jumping up, not even caring that she was naked, Lois pursued him into the kitchen.

"You bastard!" she yelled at him, only half meaning it.

"My parents were married, thank you very much," he replied.

Lois wasn't going to ask which ones. She was on the offensive and there was no way she was going to let him get away with this.

"Think I can't take you, Luthor?" she told him. "Don't tell me about not daring a Luthor, because you should know never to dare a Lane, and you are asking for it, buddy boy!"

"Really?" he said, smirking down at her.

Oh, she was going to wipe that smirk right off his face, she thought.

"That's right," she said.

He had the nerve to laugh.

"It would sound so much more threatening if you weren't butt naked in my kitchen."

"Think it's fun to tease me, do you, huh, Luthor?"

"Oh yeah," he answered.

Lois glared up at him, moving closer to press herself against him. She could tell from the bulge in his pants that his teasing had had the same effect on him; he just wasn't prepared to admit it. Licking her lips and smirking up at him, she slid her hand down his shirt to tug once more at his belt buckle, undoing it quickly, then loosening his pants, pushing them down carefully over his erection.

Clark had still been chuckling, thinking he had got the upper hand on her, but it was choked off when she wrapped her hand around his shaft. Lois dropped to her knees, glancing up at him through long eyelashes. He was trying not to react, but his hands had grabbed the edges of the counter as soon as he realised what she was about to do.

Her first lick of him elicited a tiny moan from his lips. It was a start, but it was nowhere near enough. Deciding she needed to up the ante, Lois shifted on her knees and moved a little closer, sliding her hand down his shaft as she closed her mouth around the top, running her tongue around the head.

Clark was resisting, trying not to moan too loudly, but she could tell she was getting to him. His whole body was tensing, the counter-top creaking slightly as he fought for control.

"Lois, baby ..."

It was a good thing, Lois thought, that Maddie was out at the Kents' because her eyes would probably have bugged out of her head had she walked in and seen them, but Lois didn't care. She loved teasing Clark, as much as he loved teasing her.

Clark, however, clearly thought she had teased him enough as he pulled her to her feet, crushing her mouth with his. She wrapped her arms around him, well aware of his erection pressing against her sex. Her own arousal had calmed slightly as she'd teased him but now it returned full force. She was desperate to feel him filling her, claiming her.

Lois locked her legs around his waist, feeling his hands move to support her ass. She whimpered as he plunged inside her, holding him tighter, depending on his strength to keep them balanced. She used her inner muscles to squeeze him and he groaned.

She'd almost forgotten he was still wearing his shirt, until the material rubbed against her chest, creating a delicious friction. She cried out, her body in sensory overload.

Before she realised it, Clark had sped them to the bedroom, laying her gently down on the cotton sheet, entering her once more. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, her vision hazy with passion. What was it about this man that made her feel so good? That made her feel like she was his whole world?

"I love you," she whispered, even as his deep thrusts threatened to undo her, shatter her into a thousand pieces.

He didn't answer, but his smile was tender as he rolled them over so she was now on top. Lois grinned down at him, wondering when exactly he'd removed his shirt, but not caring to voice the query. She used her hands against his chest to lever herself up so he began to slip from her, then pushed herself down again. She did this several more times, increasing the rhythm until he stiffened. Her body responded, the tingle beginning in her sex, then spreading through her whole nervous system.

Spent, she collapsed to the bed beside him, half laying on top of him.

"Oof," he complained.

"Baby!" she said, lifting her head to poke her tongue out at him.

"Take that back," he told her.

"No way!"

"Take it back," he repeated, a warning in his tone.

"No!"

He rolled over so she was on her back, trapped beneath him.

"You will take it back or I'll have to do something drastic."

"Go ahead," she told him, loving the glint in his eyes.

He didn't hesitate, finding all of her ticklish spots until she was squirming beneath him, squealing with laughter, forgetting that he'd just worn her out a few minutes earlier. Lois grabbed a pillow, deciding it wasn't fair that he seemed to have the upper hand on her and began pummelling him with it.

Clark retaliated by grabbing another pillow, hitting her back with it, although light enough so she knew he wasn't using his strength. She burst into giggles, realising how silly the situation was. Clark quickly joined in.

"You are a bad influence, Lois Lane," he told her when his chuckles died.

"Me?" she said, sending him an innocent look.

"Yes, you."

"Is that so," she answered, moving to straddle his hips. He reached out to grip her waist, but she grabbed his hands, grinding down on him, enjoying the look on his face as she did so.

"I may be Superman, Lane, but even I can't recover that quickly."

"Ha, not even wearing the outfit and he already has the ego to match." She rocked her pelvis, feeling him swell slightly beneath her.

"Hey, if you've got it," he told her. "Of course, if you flaunt it in front of other guys, I really may have to do something drastic."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like keep you locked away in a nice little cage so no one can have you but me."

She sniffed almost haughtily, tracing his nipple with a finger in a delicate touch.

"Well, in that case, we're just going to have to stay locked up together because if you think I'm gonna let any other woman have you ..."

Clark pulled her down for a kiss that not only shut her up but reminded her that she was his as much as he was hers. It wasn't just a kiss of possession. It was one that told her that as long as she was around there would never be anyone else for him. That no other woman could possibly measure up to her.

He rolled her over so she was once more on her back, brushing the hair off her face as he kissed her again, his tongue exploring the edges of her mouth as if he was trying to map it. She ran her fingers up and down his back, loving the play of his muscles beneath her fingertips.

Clark shifted in the bed, placing soft kisses at her throat before moving down to kiss and lick at her breasts. Lois curled her fingers in his hair, arching her back, almost like a cat. She moaned as he traced her areola, biting gently on her nipple as he sucked it into his mouth. She whimpered at the loss when he moved over to the other side, making sure he gave each breast equal attention. He continued down, dipping his tongue in her navel, tracing the rim until she squirmed.

Lois parted her legs, lying back and just enjoying the sensations as he placed soft kisses along the inside of her thighs before burying his head between them. She grabbed a handful of the sheet beneath her at the first feel of his tongue inside her, unable to hold back the deep moan.

"God, Clark," she cried. Her body was flushed with arousal, heat suffusing her.

He continued thrusting inside her and she swore he must have used super speed. It was too much and not enough at the same time.

She thrashed on the bed, desperate for release.

"Clark, please!"

Her lover obliged by thrusting a little deeper, applying just enough pressure with his thumb to that one sensitive spot that made her go wild beneath him. She cried out his name as she climaxed.

He grinned at her as he lay once again beside her.

"God, that was amazing!" she said.

"We're not done yet, baby," he told her.

"Hmm, no, we're not," she said, slipping her hand down to cup his groin. "Looks like Clark junior's feeling a little neglected."

"So what are you gonna do about it, Lane?"

She rolled over and straddled him. Clark moved up so he was practically sitting up, his hands at her waist. She grinned and leaned over, kissing him.

"Well, I'll tell you Clark," she answered, "or maybe I'll just show you."

She slowly lowered herself down on him, ignoring his grunt of impatience.

"Lois!"

She shook her head, shooting him a look which told him not to be so impatient, continuing to move her body up and down on him until he growled, rolling her once more on her back and taking control, thrusting hard and deep inside her.

Finally, spent, they lay together. He had softened, but was still buried deep within her and she was reluctant to let him go.

He stroked her, kissing her softly. Lois reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. It was so soft, at times unruly and she wondered how something so strong could be that soft.

"Who cuts your hair?" she asked. "I mean, how ... if regular scissors can't cut it."

"Well, I could say that I use my heat vision, but really it's just a small amount of blue Kryptonite melded into the metal of regular scissors."

Lois frowned. "And here I was hoping for something a bit more fantastical than that."

He laughed. "Nothing so earth-shattering, believe me. Lex and I came up with the idea. My hair used to be quite 'shaggy' I think is the word, when I was a teenager and Lex got so annoyed with it he started doing some research. We realised the green Kryptonite would just make me sick, so when we learned about blue Kryptonite, we figured it was a better alternative."

"Why? What's the difference between green and blue?"

"Well, like I said, green makes me sick and weak, but blue just takes away my powers temporarily. It sort of has to come into contact with my skin to be effective though."

"Are there other kinds?"

"Actually, yeah. Red, which makes me lose my inhibitions."

"You haven't lost them already?" she asked.

"There's a big difference between being confident and assertive and me on red Kryptonite, Lo. I mean, I'm not a nice guy when I'm on it."

"You've had some experience?"

He nodded. "When I was in my first year in college, I was out partying all the time and Lionel decided he wanted me to toe the line. He deliberately exposed me to red K, thinking that would make me do whatever he wanted." He dropped his gaze for a second. "Lois, if you thought I was an asshole for the way I treated Chloe that time, you never saw me on red K. Let's just say that if Lex hadn't been able to get it away from me, I would have become a monster. I came very close."

"What do you mean?"

"I almost killed someone, Lo. See, what Lionel didn't stop to think was, on the red K, I was more determined than ever to show him he couldn't be the boss of me, so I partied even harder. I was waiting to get into this club one night and I heard these two guys slapping a girl around in the alley. So when I went to look, I saw them trying to rape her. I got so angry that I threw one of them clear across the alley. He ended up in a coma for a week and when he came out of it, he had no memory at all of what he'd done."

"God, that's horrible, Clark, but you can't blame yourself ..."

"That's what Lex tried to tell me, but I didn't want to hear it. Not then. I basically went on a rampage and Lex must have heard about it from one of his contacts because he came after me. He and Chloe had figured out the truth about the meteor rock and he got it away from me.

"When I finally came down from the high, I realised what I'd done and I refused to leave my room for a week. Lex finally had to threaten to call Lionel to get me to come out."

Lois wrapped her arms around him, kissing the top of his head. As much as Clark blamed the red Kryptonite for his behaviour that night, she knew part of him had reacted that way because of what his father had done to his mother. Still, he had clearly carried around a lot of guilt for what had happened.

"It wasn't your fault, baby," she said. "It's Lionel's for ever exposing you to that stuff in the first place."

He looked at her. "Why are you so good to me, Lois?"

"Because I love you. Because I believe in you. You're a good man, Clark Luthor. You're not him. You're not your father."

"I love you," he told her. "I love you so much. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you."

"I know, sweetie. I know."


	60. Fathers

Lois was curled up beside him, still sound asleep, when the first rays of morning sun began to creep in through the drapes. Clark gently pulled his arm out from under her shoulders, pressing a kiss on her forehead, before pushing back the covers and getting quietly out of bed.

She murmured something in her sleep, her body already reacting to his absence, seeking out his warmth, despite the fact it was already well over sixty and it was likely to be in the nineties or even higher.

Clark dressed quietly in his Blur uniform, still watching the figure in the bed to make sure he didn't wake her. He never needed much sleep, since his abilities and energy were powered by the yellow sun, but Lois tended to be a bear if she didn't get her eight hours. He grinned. He'd really tired her out the night before, although she'd started it. Thinking about what they'd done that night made him chuckle to himself. Lois Lane could be brazen, but she was a deeply sensual, passionate woman and their lovemaking was never boring.

The same couldn't be said for some of the women he'd been with. Not that he meant to disparage them, but the word 'uninspiring' did come to mind when he thought of some of his former bedmates. Even those who thought they were incredible lovers could fall short when it came to the love of his life.

He was so tempted to get back in bed and lie there, watching her sleep, thinking about all the things that made her unique. That made her the woman he loved and would always love. It wasn't just her passion for her work, or for him, that made him love her completely. To borrow a French phrase, she had a certain je ne sais quoi, a certain quality that had drawn him to her from the beginning, although he now realised he had been more concerned with guarding his heart than letting himself love her.

Yet, she had broken down those barriers in a way that it had seemed so easy. She had seen past the arrogance, past the spoilt rich brat attitude and found the man underneath. She believed in him like no other and he wanted to make her proud of him.

Biting his lip, Clark quickly wrote out a brief note, telling her where he was going, then turned away, knowing if he stopped to look at her, he would never go.

He left the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him, then walked along the hallway to open Maddie's door. The teenager was sleeping on her stomach, her long blonde hair splayed over the pillow. She'd got in fairly late, but Clark wasn't going to admonish her about it. The Kents' son was a good boy and he knew the friendship was in its very early stages.

Clark left the apartment via the terrace, climbing high into the sky. As he flew, he thought about the first time he tried to fly. That had been a disaster of ... well, he wouldn't call it Titanic proportions, but it had been humiliating all the same.

He'd started floating when he was fourteen. He'd only been in Smallville a few days and he'd been dreaming. About Lana, of all people. He'd woken up and realised he was three feet above his bed, then crashed, causing the bed to break. Lex had not been pleased.

He'd avoided the subject of flying, never even broaching it with Lionel. The last thing he'd wanted to admit to his father was a weakness, and a fear of heights would definitely qualify. Lex had wondered years later whether the fear of heights stemmed from Clark's earliest memory of crash-landing in the cornfield. Unlike Kara, who had been in stasis when her ship had crashed in the river, Clark's parents had not placed him in stasis, thinking it could be potentially harmful to the then infant's mental development.

Hitting the ground at a speed of what Clark assumed would have been upwards of a hundred miles per hour would have been terrifying for a child as young as he was. It was little wonder, then, that he'd woken from nightmares that he could barely remember, his heart pounding. Only Lex or his mother had ever understood those night terrors. Had ever realised the source of them. Lionel, on the other hand, had told him a Luthor was never afraid of anything.

When he'd first found Kara, she had laughed at him for his inability to fly. She'd tried to teach him, but he had never been able to see past his fears and he'd failed every time. Finally, the arguments between him and his cousin, and his efforts to protect her from Lionel, had created a rift between them that only now they were beginning to heal.

It was only in his final days of training with Jor-El that he was able to use meditative techniques to calm his fears and take to the sky.

Clark spotted the crystal fortress shining in the sunlight and began to descend. The temperature had risen to around thirty degrees, not that Clark ever felt the cold. Still, he knew that it could still be dangerous for any human if they were not wrapped up warmly.

As he entered the fortress, he paused in what he considered to be the main room, just looking around. He remembered the first time he had seen it, overwhelmed by its grandiosity, yet struck with almost a feeling of nostalgia, knowing that this structure was a representation of the home he would have had on Krypton.

"Kal-El, my son. You have returned."

"Jor-El. I came for your advice. And your blessing."

He stepped forward into the chamber, taking a deep breath.

"I know it's a tradition on Krypton to ask for a parent's blessing when you intend to form a lifebond with someone."

"And you intend to form a lifebond with Lois Lane. She is a fine choice, my son. I know the two of you will have many happy years together."

"Thank you. So, I have your blessing?"

"Yes, my son. Your mother and I could not have chosen a better mate for you. I assume you will follow Earth traditions?"

"Yes sir. We haven't made a date yet, but we will."

"My only regret is that your mother and I could not be there."

"You will be, Father, in here," he said, touching his chest where his heart was. "Now I need your advice."

"What is it, my son?"

"Recent events have convinced me that I need to bring myself out of the shadows. To bring hope to the world."

"I have been monitoring your media transmissions, Kal-El and I admit they concern me a great deal. I believe you are right. The time has come for you to step into the light."

"Lex and Lois believe there is a way to hide my identity, although I have been unsure about this. There is a risk that my identity as Clark Luthor is too well known and people will recognise me, so they think that perhaps there is a way to hypnotise people into believing I am someone else."

"You believe this is wrong, my son?"

"I do."

"Yet to protect the ones you love, you know it is a necessary step. There is a way that it can be built into armour. It would not be hypnosis as you believe but it would convince them they are seeing only what you want them to see."

"Isn't that the same thing?" he asked, frowning. He was still unsure about this, not wanting to play God with people's heads. Yet Jor-El had a point. He needed to protect his loved ones. If anyone found out he was Superman, they would go after Lex or Lois.

"It would still be your choice, Kal-El."

Clark nodded. He knew there was no other way around it. He continued to listen as Jor-El explained further how it would work. He began to feel assured that it wouldn't mess with people's heads, as it would work more on a suspension of disbelief. Some might question what they saw with their own eyes, but as long as he never allowed it, they would not make the connection between Superman and Clark Luthor.

"There is more," he said. "I have decided on a uniform but I need to know what materials I can use to create it. Something that would stand up to not only my speed and strength but also anything humans might use against me." As much as he hated the idea of it, that might even include a nuclear warhead.

"There is a polymer that your adoptive brother can produce in a lab. It will be similar to materials used on Krypton. I will give you the formula."

"How long would it take to produce?"

"No more than two days," Jor-El assured him, although his tone suggested he was wondering why the rushed timetable. "The process is self-managing."

"Thank you."

Clark waited while his father shot a beam of light surrounding him. Like all the other times, it allowed him to download information into Clark's brain without being too intrusive. The first time it had happened had been when he'd discovered the Kawatche caves. He'd taken the key, which Lex had found the year before and it had activated the sensors, downloading the language of Krypton into his brain.

The beam was gone within seconds, but Clark now knew exactly what needed to be done. He thanked his father once more, turning to leave, then paused at the steps.

"Is there something else, my son?"

He bit his lip. "No. Nothing that can't wait," he said.

"Good luck, my son. I know the people of Earth will soon welcome you with open arms."

"I hope so," he said quietly.

He flew home, coming in through the terrace doors to find Lois already up, dressed in one of his shirts, cooking scrambled eggs and bacon.

"What are you doing up?" he asked.

"It got lonely without you," she said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck.

"That's my shirt. Been raiding my closet again, Lane?"

She giggled. "Yes. And I'm not sorry in the slightest."

He squeezed her gently. "You are a very bad girl, Ms Lane."

"Ahh, you love me." He snatched a piece of bacon from the frying pan and ate it.

"I think that's cooked enough," he told her. "You don't want it too crispy."

She turned off the heat and spooned the eggs and bacon into a dish. Clark took plates from the cupboard and set them down on the table.

"Maddie's still asleep," Lois told him. "I figured she'd get her breakfast when she's ready."

He nodded. "I'm just going to go change my clothes."

She frowned at him, clearly wondering why he'd worn his Blur uniform to the fortress, but he hadn't wanted to take any chances that he might be called to an emergency while he was gone. He sped to the bedroom and quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt.

Lois had placed the dish on the table and poured two tall glasses of orange juice. He sat down and waited for her to help herself to the bacon and eggs, then spooned some onto his plate.

"So, how did it go?"

"Jor-El gave me a formula for a polymer that Lex can have cooked up in the lab. It won't take very long. He told me it's on the same basis as the material they used in the battle dress on Krypton."

"Well, that's good. So I'm guessing you need to talk to Lex about it?"

He nodded. "We can go see him later this morning. No time like the present." He reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "I, uh, also told him about us. That we're getting married."

"Oh? What did he say?"

"He said and I quote: 'I know the two of you will have many happy years together'."

"He sounds happy for us."

"He did," Clark told her, thinking that even though the AI sounded impassive most of the time, for a moment his father had sounded happy, even wistful that he could not be at the wedding. He looked at her.

"Speaking of which, we haven't set a date yet."

"Why do we need to rush things? Why can't we just enjoy being together, and in love?"

"Darling, I'm not trying to rush things, but we do need to think about a date."

"Well, why don't we make it next summer?" she suggested. "I mean, I know it's a whole year away, but by then Lucas' trial will be over and things will have settled down, I hope."

He nodded. "Next summer. Yeah, that sounds doable. So ..." He got up and grabbed his cellphone, accessing the calendar. "June 22nd will be a Saturday. What about that?"

"That's a good date." She grinned and kissed him. "So, June 22nd 2013."

"Hey," came a sleepy voice. "What's June 22nd?"

Clark looked around at Maddie, who stood in her pyjamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning Maddie. Lois and I just decided on a date for the wedding."

"Oh. So you're gonna wait a whole year?"

"Well, weddings can be pretty tough to arrange, especially when you're working full-time. I mean, there's the dresses and the flowers and the catering, not to mention booking the church, the invitations, the bachelor and bachelorette parties ..."

Clark turned back to his fiancée, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. She snickered and leaned over to kiss him.

"Get used to it, baby," she said. "Maybe I should get you watching Bridezillas."

"Oh hell no."

"You know, that would make a great wrap-up for your cable show," she said, getting up to clear the table and put their plates in the dishwashwer.

"Uh, Lois," he began, pursuing her into the kitchen.

She laughed at him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Gotcha," she said.

"You ..." he told her.

"Me what?" she answered, her eyes twinkling. She shooed him out so she could finish cleaning the kitchen.

Clark turned back to Maddie, who had found some of Lena's Crunch 'n Munch, which Clark kept for her and was now sitting at the table.

"We're gonna go over to Lex's for a bit. What are your plans for the day?"

Maddie shrugged. "Clark ... I mean, the Kents' son ... god, that's weird ... invited me to go to the lake in Smallville with him and a group of friends. That's okay, right?" she said, looking a little uncertain.

"Maddie, you don't need to consult me, but for what it's worth, I think it's a great idea." He smiled at her. "You like him, huh?"

She smiled back. "Yeah, I do."

"Well, take your time, Mads. You don't need to rush into anything. Just enjoy being friends and see where it takes you."

"You and Lois didn't."

"With Lois and I, it was an entirely different situation and we'd both had some experience at relationships. You're not eighteen for another month."

He didn't want to remind her of the fact that she'd been basically held prisoner in Lucas' facility for two years and had almost no social contact in that time. While he liked the idea of Clark Kent taking her under his wing, she needed time to learn how to be around others her own age before she got into anything deeper than friendship.

Maddie nodded, clearly realising he had a point. Lois had finished cleaning and came out.

"I'm just gonna go put some clothes on," she said.

He grinned at her. "Why? You look cute as you are," he said, putting his arms around her and patting her backside.

Lois wrinkled her nose. "Nice try, Luthor, but you don't want to give your impressionable niece any ideas, now do you?"

"Not to mention impressionable teenagers," Maddie murmured with a snort.

Clark followed Lois with his gaze as she walked up to the bedroom, then gathered up the drawings to show Lex.

"Cool idea for a uniform," Maddie said. He glanced at her and she grinned up at him. "I saw them on the coffee table when I came in last night. Um, by the way, I, um, put Lois' stuff in the hamper in the laundry." She wrinkled her nose. "But, um, next time ..."

Damn, he knew he'd forgotten something last night. Maddie was blushing although she seemed to be trying not to.

"Sorry, Maddie. I'll try to remember to clean up next time."

"I think it's great that you guys ... you know. I just don't want to, um, see it. I mean, I love you guys, you know that, but you're kind of like my parents. I mean, I know you're not, since you're like not old or anything and you know, you're not old enough to be my dad ..." She turned even redder. "Oh god, this is so weird."

Lois' cat came in from the terrace where it had been sunning itself and Clark went to put some food down, glad of the momentary distraction so Maddie could recover her composure.

Since Lois had practically moved in, although they hadn't really made that official, Clark had felt it would be a good idea for the cat to be at the apartment instead of her townhouse so it wouldn't feel like it was being neglected.

"Don't worry, Mads. I get it." He looked up as Lois returned. "Ready to go, honey?"

She nodded. "Let's go. We'll see you later okay, Maddie?"

"Sure."

Lois was quiet until they were in the car, driving out of the parking garage.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

"Uh, Maddie picked up our clothes from last night."

She bit her lip. "Oh. I'm guessing she gave you the I know you're having sex but I don't want to know you're having sex speech. Usually it's the parents that do that."

He glanced at her, frowning slightly, then realised she was biting back laughter. He began chuckling until the two of them were laughing so hard he could barely concentrate on driving.

"Oh god," Lois gasped. "Can you imagine her face if she'd come in last night?"

"Which part?" he laughed. "The part where I had you over my knee or the part where you were on your knees?"

"Oh, it's not funny," she said. "But it is. Poor Maddie," she added, wiping her eyes.

"Poor Maddie?" he returned. "What about me? You know, it's not nice to tease, Lois."

"You started it."

"No, you did when you put your hand down my pants."

She pouted at him. "Aww, and it's such a burden!" He squirmed when she cupped his crotch.

"Lois, I'm driving!"

"Poor baby!"

"God, woman, you're insatiable! Didn't you get enough last night?" He turned his head long enough to glare at her. "I swear if I have to walk in to Lex's house with a hard-on, you will not like the consequences."

"Bring it on, Luthor!"

That did it! Clark pulled over and stopped the car, determined to make her as crazy as she made him sometimes. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over, his hand on her neck as he crushed her mouth with the hardest, hottest kiss he could ever give her. By the time he let her go, she was completely dazed.

"Um, yeah, okay," she said.

With a satisfied smirk, Clark returned to his seat and drove out into traffic, following the highway to the turn-off to his brother's place. Lois sat back, looking almost demure with her hands folded in her lap, but he wasn't fooled in the slightest.

Lex opened the front door, clearly having heard them pull up. He seemed flustered.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked, but he knew the problem as soon as he walked in. It sounded like Lena was having a tantrum, something which hadn't been unusual lately. At least, not since Lucas had had her kidnapped.

"She was fine until breakfast," Lex said. "She decided she wanted oatmeal, then she refused to eat it and asked for Cap'n Crunch. When I told her we didn't have any she lost it. I don't know what to do with her. She just won't see reason. She's been in her room throwing things around. I'm sure I've heard her breaking things. I swear Clark I am just about ready to throttle her."

Clark shook his head. "Maybe you need to just take a bit of time out yourself. Why don't you go sit outside on the deck and calm down. Lois?"

She smiled. "C'mon Lex. Let's go make some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit."

Clark realised his brother was at the end of his rope with his daughter, and normally Lena was such a calm child. He had never heard of her having tantrums before, but clearly what had happened over a month ago had affected her deeply. He could see that Lex felt helpless, not knowing how to deal with it.

He watched as Lois led his brother away, knowing Lex wouldn't be able to deal with his daughter's tantrum if he didn't calm down himself. Lena was still screaming in her room and he winced as he heard the sound of something smashing. He opened the door and something small and black came running out, scared for its very life.

Clark watched his niece for a few moments. She had pulled all the bedding off her bed and had smashed the nightlight he'd given her when they'd first moved in. Clark shook his head and tsked.

"Lena, is that any way to treat your things?"

"Don't care," she said sulkily, but she was obviously running out of steam. She was sitting on the floor among the debris, panting.

He looked closely at her. There were dark circles under her eyes and she clearly hadn't slept well.

"You know, your dad's worried about you."

"Don't care. He's mean to me."

"Aww, Lena, you don't mean that."

"He hates me. All he wants to do is spend time with that Mayson lady. He doesn't want to spend time with me."

Well, that wasn't strictly true, since her father had taken her to the carnival the week before. Sure, Mayson had been with him, as had the Kents, but the day had revolved around Lena. He'd played hooky from work last Wednesday to take her to a matinee movie. Still, Clark could see the crux of the problem. Lena was jealous.

"Your dad doesn't hate you," he soothed.

"Yes he does," she said, tears beginning to fall down her face. "He wouldn't let me sleep with him last night cause he had that Mayson lady with him."

He knelt down on the floor, gathering her in his arms and kissing her on the top of her head.

"Sweetie, you're awfully big to be sleeping in your dad's bed."

"You don't care!" she pouted, pushing ineffectually at his chest.

"How can you say that?" he said. "I do care!"

"You don't come here anymore. You're always busy."

"Sweetheart, would it help if Aunt Lois and I stayed over sometimes?"

She shrugged. "I guess so," she sniffed, then looked around. "Where did Minnie go?"

"I think she got scared honey. She ran out of here when I opened the door."

Lena wiped her nose with her hand and Clark looked around for a box of Kleenex, handing her the tissue.

"Blow your nose," he said. "Then I think you need to go see your dad and tell him you're sorry for making such a mess and getting him upset."

"Don't wanna!"

"Helena ..." he warned.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

Clark sighed. She was clearly in a recalcitrant mood. Still, getting angry at her wasn't going to help the situation either.

"Lena, do you like seeing your dad upset?"

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide and tearful, clearly thinking over what he'd said. Then she shook her head. Clark held her gaze.

"Then how do you think it makes him feel when you do stuff like this?"

"Umm ..."

Clark was often taken aback when Lena acted her age. Her high intelligence, coupled with the fact that she'd been brought up by her father, who had never really had a childhood himself, sometimes gave her a maturity that belied her years. He had to remind himself that in spite of all that she was still a child who had been through a horrible ordeal just a few short weeks ago and there were bound to be some residual and undealt with issues.

"I think you owe your dad an apology," he told her quietly. "Then I think you and your dad need to have a long talk about things. About how you're feeling."

She nodded and stood up. Clark got up off the floor and watched as she went out, then began to gather the broken pieces of the smashed lamp, tidying the room as he went. He knew Lex would probably have made Lena tidy it herself, but he wanted to make sure she hadn't smashed anything else.

He went out to the garage to dispose of the pieces, then joined the rest of the family on the deck. Lena was on her father's lap, crying. Lois looked up at him and shook her head slightly, watching father and daughter. They sat silently for a while, the only sound Lena's sobs and her father's voice as he spoke quietly to his daughter.

When Clark could no longer hear his niece crying, it became apparent that she'd fallen asleep. Lex sent him a helpless look and picked her up, carrying her inside. He came back out a few minutes later.

"I think maybe it's time I brought in some help," he said wearily.

"You mean like a child psychologist?" Lois asked.

He nodded. "I don't know what to do anymore. She's been so clingy lately, and she's jealous of any time I spend with Mayson." Clark was not surprised that Lex had noticed Lena's jealousy.

"Lex, she went through a traumatic experience a while ago."

"It's been a month, Clark, and she's still having nightmares. I think it's the only thing to do."

Lois glanced at him, then at Lex. "I think you're right, Lex. I did a story on a child psychologist a couple of years ago. She's pretty good. I can give her a call and see if she can take Lena. I mean, you can try one session, at least, see if it'll help."

Clark was still reluctant. He was worried that the psychologist might learn the truth about his secret. Then again, he needed to trust that his brother knew what he was doing. It obviously couldn't go on like this if Lena wasn't bouncing back as they first thought she would. Maybe there had been too much change for her lately.

"So, what did you two want to talk to me about?" Lex asked finally.

Clark brought out the sketches. "This," he said.

Lex looked them over. "This is what you're planning on wearing?"

"Well, it's modelled after Kryptonian battle gear. Oh, and I went to see Jor-El this morning. He gave me a formula for a polymer which you can produce in the lab. It won't be the same material as Kryptonians used, but close enough."

"So this is really happening, huh?"

Clark nodded. "Yup. Soon it won't be 'the Blur', it'll be 'Superman'."

Lex cocked an eyebrow. "Superman? Ego much, little brother?"

"Hey, don't look at me. Lois came up with it."

"Oh sure, blame me," she said, but she was grinning proudly just the same.


	61. General

"Aunt Lois?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"How come my dad wants me to talk to the doctor?"

Lois looked at her ... well, she supposed she could call Lena her niece, since Lena had practically 'adopted' her. Lena was sitting on Clark's chair in front of his computer, playing a computer game her uncle had installed for her.

Lex had called the child psychologist Lois had recommended and as luck would have it, she had had an opening Monday afternoon. Lex had taken his daughter for the session and had seemed to feel a little easier afterward.

"Don't you like her?"

"She's okay," Lena said, shrugging. "I have to go see her again on Friday."

Lois paused in her reading. She'd been looking once again over Slade's military file to see if there had been anything she'd missed the first five times she had gone over it. She held her arms out for the redhead.

"Honey, come here. Come sit on my lap."

Lena brightened, hopping off the chair and eagerly moving around the desk to sit with her.

"You know your dad's worried about you, don't you?" Lois said, hugging the girl.

"Uncle Clark said he was upset on Saturday. When I did that stuff to my room."

"You know what you were doing was wrong."

Lena sniffed. "I guess. I just ..."

"What?"

"I just wanted him to love me again. Not that Mayson lady."

"Lena, your dad loves you more than anything. Just because there's a lady in his life, it doesn't mean he's going to stop loving you."

"It's not fair."

"What isn't fair?"

"Why can't it just be me and him?"

"I thought you liked Mayson?" Lois asked. "Besides, don't you want your dad to be happy?"

"Yeeees," she said, sounding uncertain.

Lois knew Lena was jealous, thinking that another person in her father's life would mean less attention on her. It wasn't to say that Lena was spoiled. Lois was sure she would have been fine with her father dating if it hadn't been for what Lucas had done.

"Lena, I'm going to tell you a little secret, okay? When I was about your age, my dad started seeing someone new. My mom hadn't been gone that long and I got so mad, thinking he was just replacing her. I was so mean to my dad. I said a lot of things that I'm sure hurt him deeply, but you know what? He never stopped loving me."

"Did he marry the lady?"

Lois shook her head. "No, no he didn't. In fact, he didn't see anyone after that. Instead he just buried himself in his work."

She bit her lip. Her father had always been the consummate soldier, ready to serve his country at a moment's notice, but she'd always known that losing her mother had been devastating for him. He'd reminded her more than once how much of her mother he saw in her, and deep down, Lois realised that must have hurt him a little. As if that wasn't enough, it was the fact that he just didn't know how to deal with two little girls, especially when issues came up that would have been far better dealt with by their mother.

She often wondered about the woman her father had dated for a couple of months. Maggie hadn't deserved to be spoken to the way eight-year-old Lois had spoken to her. Or the pranks she and six-year-old Lucy had pulled, like salt instead of sugar in her coffee, or snakes-in-a-can.

"Was your dad angry?" Lena asked softly.

"No, baby, but he was hurt and upset with us for a while."

"I don't want my dad to be mad at me," Lena said, curling up almost into a ball. Lois pressed a kiss to her soft curls.

"Sweetie, your daddy isn't mad at you. He's just worried, that's all."

Lena sighed, leaning against her. Lois patted her, not really knowing what else to say to soothe the girl. This was something she wasn't equipped to handle but Lex was working in the lab today and she'd promised to watch over Lena until Lex and Clark returned. The material to make the Superman uniform was almost ready and they both had wanted to be there to supervise the final stage.

She still had no idea who was actually going to make the uniform. She could sew, after a fashion, but not enough for it to withstand the kind of conditions Clark would be using it for.

Seeing Lena had fallen asleep in her lap, Lois went back to her reading and making a few notes on the pad by her keyboard. She was deep into the file when her phone rang.

"Lois Lane."

"Miss Lane, there's someone to see you at the front desk."

"Oh? Who?"

"General Sam Lane," the receptionist advised, sounding awed.

"Ahh ..." She glanced down at Lena, who had stirred in her arms, disturbed by the telephone ringing. "Can you send him up to my office, please? I can't come down."

"Of course."

Lena blinked and sat up as Lois hung up the phone.

"What is it?"

"I have a visitor coming," Lois told her, letting the girl hop off her lap. She hurriedly began tidying the papers, even though she knew she wouldn't have time to clean up the messy pile of documents spread over her desk. Every time the general visited she always had this insane notion that he was there for an inspection.

She'd barely managed to straighten a few of them before someone knocked on her door. She looked up and smiled tentatively at her father as he entered, carrying a leather briefcase.

"Daddy."

"Hello, Lois." He looked down at the little redhead, who had been standing watching Lois frantically tidy up. "Who is this?" he asked, not unkindly.

"I'm Lena Luthor," Lena said, before Lois could answer.

"She's Lex's daughter," Lois quickly explained. "I'm just watching her for a couple of hours while Lex is in business meetings."

Her father didn't comment, instead bending and holding out his hand for Lena to shake.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss Luthor," he said with a grin. Lena giggled.

"Are you really a general?" she asked.

"I am indeed."

"Aunt Lois says you're a hero. Like my ... like the Blur."

Lois winced slightly at the mention of the Blur. Her father wasn't a big fan of superheroes.

"Well, your Aunt Lois might be exaggerating a little," he said with a wink.

"You've always been a hero to me," Lois said quietly. "What brings you by, Dad?"

"There is something we need to talk about," he answered, straightening up, glancing at Lena.

"Aunt Lois, can I have some money for the snack machine? I know Daddy says it's junk food but I'm hungry."

Lois fought a grin, thinking how astute Lena was when she wanted to be. She knew the general wanted to talk to Lois in private and knew her father didn't want her going anywhere outside the building without Lois.

"Of course, sweetie," she said, taking some bills from her purse and giving them to the girl. Lena smiled and gave her a brief hug before opening the door and leaving the office. Sam Lane watched her leave, then turned back to Lois.

"She seems like a good kid," he said.

"She is. She's had her moments. I guess it's been tough for her, the last few weeks."

"I read about what her uncle did to her. That would be tough for any kid."

"I know you're probably thinking Lex is a little over-protective, but she won't stay with the housekeeper, and ..."

Her father raised his hand. "I wasn't thinking anything of the sort. I was actually admiring how she behaves with you. You'll be a wonderful mother someday, Lois."

"I hope so, Daddy."

"Have you discussed this with Clark? Having children?"

"We've talked about it," she answered, nodding. "We do want kids someday."

He was silent for a moment, looking down at her hand. Lois suddenly realised he had seen the ring on her finger and fought the urge to hide it behind her back. She mentally kicked herself. They hadn't actually called the general and told him of the engagement.

"I find it concerning that I had to find out about your engagement by reading it in the Daily Planet."

Lois felt herself reddening.

"Uh, Daddy ..."

He broke out into a broad grin. "I knew all about it," he crowed. "Your fiancé called me the day before he proposed asking for my blessing. Have to admit, even though I didn't like the man at first, he has done all the right things by you."

Lois stared at her father in amazement. "He ... called you?"

Her father nodded. "Told me what he was planning to do. I've been busy in Washington or else I would have come by for dinner so I could get to know my future son-in-law properly. Have you two set a date?"

"Yes sir. June 22nd."

"Good. People rush into these things sometimes. Nothing wrong with a long engagement." He sat down on Clark's chair. "That's not why I'm here, though, Lo."

"Why did you want to see me?"

"I heard about your request from the D.O.D. to look into some missions in Vietnam."

She frowned. Why would he have heard about it? The man might be a decorated soldier and a four-star general but even he wouldn't be privy to that kind of information. He grinned at her.

"You're looking at the new military liaison for the Department of Defense," he said. "Any information requests, whether media or federal agency, cross my desk. I'm guessing from the various emails you've been firing our office that you think we've been stalling. We haven't, sweetheart. We were just waiting for my promotion to be confirmed."

He reached into his briefcase and pulled out some papers, handing them over.

"I expect I will remain a 'confidential source'," he told her.

"Of course Daddy," she said, glancing through the papers. There was a lot of information but at the very top was a list of names of men involved in various top-secret, and now declassified, missions. Three names on that list stuck out. Slade Wilson, Jason Trask and Morgan Edge. They had their smoking gun. It was proof that all three men not only knew each other, but they also had worked together on these missions.

There was another name that stuck out. Their commanding officer had been a man by the name of Bill Sacks. Lois just knew if she did some further digging, she would find out the man was related to Ray Sacks. Probably even his father.

"Thank you, Daddy." He smiled and got up.

"I'll be in town for a couple of days. Have some meetings over at Fort Ryan."

"Will you come for dinner tonight?" she asked. "Clark's been teaching me to cook. He's a really great cook, Dad. He's learned dishes from all over the world."

"I think I would like that," he smiled. "Six-thirty?"

"That sounds great," she said, moving to hug him. "You know the address?"

He looked at her with a wry smile. Of course he knew, she thought. He wouldn't be in his position if he didn't know everything.

As her father left, Lena came bounding back in, making it obvious she'd had something sugary. Following behind her was a tall, familiar figure. Lois brightened.

"Ollie! We haven't seen you in ages!"

"Hey, Legs," he grinned. "Yeah, I've been busy in Star City. I hear you two have been busy too, making waves."

"It's the job."

"So where's Clark?"

"He and Lex are working on a project at the lab."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of project?"

"Uncle Clark's gonna be Su ..." Lena began, practically announcing it at the top of her lungs. Lois quickly put a hand over her mouth.

"Quietly, baby," she said. "We don't want the whole world to know Clark's secret."

Lena looked at her, her eyes widening, then she nodded sombrely, making a motion as if she was buttoning her lip. Lois grinned.

"Good girl." She turned back to Oliver. "They're working on a uniform for Clark."

Her phone rang and she went to answer it. Oliver sat down on the leather couch under the window and Lena went over to him to sit on his lap. Lois watched them quietly talking about something and picked up the phone.

"Lois Lane."

"It's just me, darling."

"How's it going, honey?"

"We're done. We just need to find someone to put it together."

"That's great! I'm so glad!"

"Me too. Lex will be there shortly to pick Lena up. How's she been?"

"She's been really good, actually. We had a little talk, but I'll tell you all about that later. Oh, Ollie's here."

"Tell him he should come by for dinner some time."

"Um, speaking of dinner ..." she began.

"What is it, honey?"

"Uh, the general stopped by earlier. He got a promotion. That's not all. He brought us some stuff. And, um, I invited him for dinner. At our ... the apartment."

Clark was quiet for a moment and she wondered if he was mad that she'd invited the general to dinner without consulting him first.

"You think of it as our apartment?" he asked.

That was what he'd got from that? Okay, so she'd practically moved in with him, but ... well, there was no 'but' really. In spite of all her protests about slowing things down, most of her clothes had somehow found their way into his closet. Even her toothbrush had its own place in the holder in the bathroom. Face it, Lois, you've moved in without realising you've moved in.

"You're not mad that I invited the general to dinner without asking you about it?"

"Sweetheart, he's your family. Besides, the last time I talked to him, I told him he was welcome to come to our place any time he thought was appropriate."

"Would that be when you asked for his blessing to ask me to marry you?" she said.

"Um, Lois ..."

"Relax," she said, chuckling. "I'm just messing with you."

She shook her head, laughing for a moment at the way Clark had gone about things. Who would have thought a couple of months ago that Clark Luthor would be the most romantic man she had ever met. He might have bragged about knowing everything there was to know about seducing women, but seduction was about as far from romance as it could get. Seduction was knowing what to say and how to say it to get someone to fall for the seducer's charms. Romance was saying and doing the right things for no other reason than to make that other person happy.

"So, what do you want for dinner?"

"Why don't I pick up some steaks and some salad ingredients on my way home," she suggested. "It's hot enough. We could grill them on the terrace."

"You mean me," he said, snickering.

"Well, you were the one who told me the grill was your domain," she retorted.

"Yes dear!" he said, giving a long-suffering sigh.

"Watch it, Luthor!" she returned. "I could still change my mind and leave you standing at the altar."

"Don't worry, Clark," Oliver called out. "I'll make sure she meets you at that altar if I have to kidnap her myself."

Clark laughed. "I knew I could always count on Ollie."

"Me too!" Lena piped up.

"Traitor," Lois answered with a mock glare at Lena, who giggled.

She talked for a few more minutes with Clark, who was in Watchtower checking up on a few things, then hung up when Lex knocked on the door. Lena looked up, then ran to her father.

"Daddy!"

Lex held her close, hugging her back.

"Ready to go, sweetheart?" he asked. "Have you been good for Aunt Lois?"

"I've been very good," she told him truthfully.

Lex nodded, smiling. He looked at Ollie.

"Hey. Coming for dinner?"

"Yeah, thanks man. Could do with a home-cooked meal." He patted his stomach. "All the take-out I've been eating lately has gone straight to my waist."

Lois snorted to herself. With the way the man worked out, he never needed to worry about food going to his waistline.

"Listen, can you go with Lena down to the parking garage? I just need to talk to Lois for a minute."

"Sure, Lex. Come on squirt."

"I'm not a squirt," Lena protested as Oliver propelled her out the door. Lois snickered, hearing them teasing each other as they went, but turned back to Lex.

"Everything okay, Lex?"

He nodded. "I just wanted to say thanks for looking after her."

"It was no trouble, Lex. She's been an angel all afternoon."

"Yeah, the psychologist said she might have mood swings for a while. I'm happy to hear she's been in one of her 'good' moods."

"Did she offer any answers as to what's going on?"

"Have you heard of Post-Traumatic Stress?"

"PTSD? Yeah, I did a piece on it a while back. There was this guy attacking people for no reason – thought he was still in the Gulf, I think. I talked to a shrink who told me about it."

"Well, she thinks that's what is causing Lena's behaviour."

Lois nodded. That made a lot of sense. After what Lucas had done to her, it really didn't come as a shock that Lena would be feeling the stress of that.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the suggestion too, Lois. It means a lot that you care about Lena."

"Of course I care, Lex. It's not just the fact that she's your daughter. Or Clark's niece. It feels like she's mine too."

"Uh, I'm not seeing Mayson anymore," he said quietly. "Well, it was mutual, really. She thought it best that we didn't see each other, especially with how Lena's been behaving. I mean, I'm not blaming Lena at all. Maybe I just wasn't ready for another woman in my life."

"I don't think that's necessarily true," Lois told him. "I think it was just bad timing. I'm sorry, though. I liked Mayson."

"I did too. I'm just not convinced that there was a future there." He sighed. "I should get Lena home."

She nodded and grabbed her briefcase, packing the files her father had given her inside, then her handbag.

"I'll walk with you. I need to stop by the store and pick up some groceries. My dad's coming to dinner."

Lex cocked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing. She followed him to the parking garage, glancing uneasily into the dark corners. Since Sacks had attacked them, Lex had hired more security staff to patrol the parking garage and had more lighting installed, but it still made her a little uneasy.

"Can we drop you at the store, Lois?" Lex asked, as Lena, who had been waiting with Ollie by his car, hugged her.

"Thanks, but I brought my car in today."

"Well, goodnight, Lois. Drive safe."

She waited until Lex had driven off. Oliver insisted on waiting while she got into her own car and drove out of the parking garage. A few minutes later, she stopped in the parking lot of the grocery store and went in, remembering the last time she'd gone shopping with Clark. He'd been giving her lessons on how to find the freshest produce and she used those lessons, knowing how particular he was. Clark would eat anything, but he still preferred to cook with the freshest ingredients.

By the time she got home, it was just after six. She walked in the door to find Clark out on the terrace wearing the briefest pair of shorts she had ever seen and nothing else. He looked so hot she dropped the bags on the table and went out to him, wrapping her arms around him and laying on him the hottest kiss she could give him.

They finally broke apart when breathing became an issue. Lois looked up at him, panting.

"Hi," she said breathlessly.

"Hi," he returned, grinning.

"You look so hot," she told him almost giddily.

"Well, it is hot," he replied and she slapped his shoulder playfully.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

He let her go and turned back to the grill.

"What time is your dad coming?"

"Six-thirty," she said, glancing at her watch. "Which means he'll be here in about ten minutes." Clark glanced at her. "The general's a stickler for punctuality."

"I remember," he said. He kissed her briefly. "Go change. I'll be in in a minute."

"Okay," she said, running a hand down his butt to pinch his cheek.

She quickly changed into jeans and a shirt, undoing her hair from the loose knot she'd had it in all day, leaving it to flow freely down her back. Clark passed her on the way to change his own clothes, giving her another brief kiss as he did so.

The general arrived a few minutes later, carrying a small bouquet of flowers and what appeared to be a six-pack of beer. Lois grinned at him.

"Thank you Daddy," she said, taking the flowers.

Her father grinned back, holding up the beer.

"I know Clark prefers beer to bourbon."

She nodded, going into the kitchen to find something to put the flowers in.

"He's just changing his clothes," she told him. "We thought since it was such a nice evening we could grill some steaks."

"Sounds wonderful, sweetheart," he said, looking around the apartment. "This is a nice place."

She returned from the kitchen, carrying the flowers in a vase, putting them down on the table.

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I have to admit I was expecting something a little more 'up-market'."

"I learned to appreciate the simpler things in life after I spent a few years seeing how the other half lived," Clark said, entering the room. "It's good to see you, general."

"Luthor," the elder Lane answered, but with far less 'bite'.

"Dad brought beer," Lois told her fiancé.

"Sounds great, darling," Clark returned. "I'm just going to start the grill, let it heat up a little before I start cooking the steaks."

Lois led her father out to the terrace and sat at the glass-topped table with him, watching as Clark worked.

"Clark's an amazing cook," she said. "He learned a lot of dishes from all around the world."

"So I'm assuming you've done quite a bit of travelling," her father asked Clark, who nodded.

"I started college when I was fifteen and when I graduated I decided I was too young to settle into any kind of profession, so I spent a few years working odd jobs and travelling. It certainly broadened my horizons. Made me see what life was like in other cultures. It also made me grow up a lot and realise that just because my father was rich, it didn't make me better than anyone else."

"Yet you were quite the hell-raiser when you were a kid," the older man said with a smirk.

"I don't deny that," Clark replied, sipping from his bottle. "I did a lot of things that I regret now, but the one thing I don't regret is choosing to walk away from my father."

"I've been reading your stories in the Daily Planet. For someone who only started working as a reporter a few weeks ago, you're certainly making a name for yourself."

"That's true," he acknowledged.

Lois smiled at her father. "Clark's a great writer. He majored in journalism in college but his father tried to have him blacklisted from every media organisation."

He snorted. "That doesn't suprise me, from what I've heard about Lionel Luthor. Speaking of which, I read your article which suggested he may have been murdered. I hope you two aren't getting involved in anything dangerous."

"It's nothing we can't handle," Lois assured the general. "I mean, it's our job."

"Not when someone is trying to kill you every other day," Clark answered. Lois glanced at her father's face and saw from his expression he was in total agreement.

"Well, at least I have someone looking out for me."

"You'd be talking about the Blur, I suppose," her father said. "While the idea of vigilantes operating without legal sanction makes me a little uneasy, I have to admit I do like the idea of you having your own private guardian angel. Still, not everyone has the Blur's sense of honour."

"That's true, sir," Clark agreed.

Conversation turned to other things while the steaks cooked and Clark quickly made the salad. Maddie came in a short while later, having spent the day studying at the Kents. She joined them on the terrace, sitting quietly as they all ate the grilled steaks and salad.

"So the little girl I met today. Lex's daughter. How is she doing, really?"

Clark looked thoughtful as he chewed.

"Lex is taking her to see a child psychologist. I guess after everything that happened to her, it just became too much for her."

"I've seen a lot of soldiers go through similar things," the general answered. "The first time they have to kill someone ... believe me, it's not easy, in spite of their training."

"Still, at least Lena's getting some help," Lois said. "Um, Dad, I've been meaning to ask you about something. Well, not ask, really, more like apologise."

"For what, sweetheart?"

"Well, remember when I was about eight and you were seeing Maggie?"

"Of course I remember. What of it?"

"I did some horrible things back then. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. I realise now I acted like a total brat and I deserved your anger."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Lois, you thought I was angry at you?"

"You had every right to be."

"No, honey, I was angry at myself. I knew you girls weren't ready for another woman in my life. You'd barely got over the fact that your mother was gone, and I was hardly the perfect father. The truth is, I didn't know how to deal with you two girls without your mother and I made a lot of mistakes."

"You might think so, sir," Clark said quietly, "but Lois wouldn't be the amazing, compassionate woman she is today if that was the case."

"Thank you for the compliment, son, but as much as I would like to take some of the credit for that, I don't deserve it." He turned back to Lois. "Sweetheart, I knew what you two girls were doing, but you didn't drive Maggie away. The truth is, she realised that I wasn't ready for a relationship and that was why she left. I never for a second blamed the two of you."

Lois looked at her father. All this time she had thought it had been what she and Lucy had done that had made Maggie leave, but as she saw her father's face, she realised that he was telling the truth. He hadn't been angry at her at all. He'd felt guilty for seeking a relationship with someone who wasn't her mother.

After dinner, Lois went in to rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Clark and her father's voices drifted in as she worked.

"Son, let me give you a little piece of advice. I've been to war, I've been on special missions and you know, dealing with the rush of battle and saving lives, it made dealing with the simple things difficult. I forgot that it's the simple things, like tucking the kids up in bed, or dancing with your wife, that make us human. When you and Lois get married, I want you to remember that. No matter what you're doing during the day or how hard you're working, appreciate what you have at home, because that's what matters the most."

"I'll remember that, sir."

"I'll admit, Luthor, I had my misgivings about you. I figured you were cut from the same cloth as your old man, but I'm not so set in my ways I can't admit when I'm wrong."


	62. Blackmail

Clark yawned as he rolled over in bed. It had been a late night. There had been a six car pile-up on the I-90 and he'd been kept busy for an hour helping emergency workers pull people out of the wreckage. At least two of the victims had been killed instantly and another had died on the way to the hospital. Despite knowing that there had been nothing he could do except what he had been doing, Clark still felt as if he could have done more.

He glanced at the clock. It was ten and he'd slept in. Yawning and stretching, he sat up, scratching his head and messing his hair. Lois had clearly already gone to work, since her nightgown was on the chair beside the bed. He got up and went to shower, emerging less than five minutes later, showered, shaved and wearing a sky-blue silk shirt and black pants.

Going out to the kitchen, he noticed a newspaper on the counter, along with a note.

_You looked so cute, I didn't want to wake you. I'll tell Perry you have a migraine and you'll be in once the meds kick in. He'll understand. I love you. PS: The story about the pile-up's below the fold. _

He grinned. That was Lois. Always thinking ahead.

Clark picked up the paper and skimmed through the story on the pile-up. There was the usual 'just the facts ma'am' report about the crash and the number of victims. He sighed, still wishing there could have been something he could have done to prevent it, but then he read a couple of quotes: one from an emergency worker and one from the family of one of the dead.

_The Blur worked like a dynamo. He didn't stop for anything, just assessed the situation and did what he could. There'll be a lot of people who get to be with their families tonight because of what he did. I know some people might ask why he didn't get there sooner, or stop those people from dying, but you know, not even the Blur can be omnipotent. It's one thing we have to get used to in our jobs. It sucks, but we know we can't save everyone._

_My wife was one of those who died, said another man. I could be selfish and ask why the Blur didn't save her when he saved so many others, but even I know he's not God. He's probably asking himself that very same question, like why didn't he get there sooner, or should he have done things differently. I just want him to know that I know if it had been possible, he would have saved her, because that's just who he is. I have to go home to my kids and tell them their mother won't be coming home, but I don't blame the Blur. Even superheroes can't win them all, but at least they're out there trying. _

Lois looked up from her desk when he came in and she got up and hugged him.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked.

"Yeah." He sighed, sitting down on his chair, pulling her into his lap and burying his face in her soft, sweet-scented hair. "I just hate losing someone."

"I know baby," she said softly.

They held each other, content to just sit there quietly. Clark took comfort in her warmth and the gentle way she stroked his arm. What was it about Lois that helped to make it better, he thought.

There was a knock on the door and Clark looked up at his brother. Lex's smile was full of gentle concern.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, Lex. Just a little ..."

Lex nodded, sighing. "Yeah, I know. Sometimes I hate it that you feel like you have to bear the whole world on your shoulders."

"Well, what good is having my abilities if I don't use them to help people?" he said philosophically. Lionel, of course, would have thoroughly disagreed with that philosophy, thinking he should use his abilities to gain power over others.

Lex shrugged. "Anyway, Perry told me there have been a few messages for you. Well, for the Blur. There have been some negative, but a good seventy-five percent of them have been supportive. Ever since your story on Edge and his connection to Slade in Vietnam came out, the paper's had more comments in support of the Blur than ever."

Clark smiled at that. It had been a little crazy for a while. The papers General Lane had given them had not only proved that Edge, Slade Wilson, Jason Trask had worked together on special ops in Vietnam, but their team had been under the command of Ed Burke, who had then been a colonel. Not only that, but they'd also been able to prove the connection to Ray Sacks.

The papers had also revealed that the team had been under investigation for a number of crimes including racketeering and smuggling, although the charges had never been able to be proven. Still, the evidence, once it was all added up, was damaging enough that Ray Sacks had decided to turn State's Evidence in order to get a plea bargain. He'd confessed not only to killing Slade, who had been trying to blackmail Senator Burke into protecting him, but also in trying to frame the Blur.

J'onn had told Clark and Lois that Slade had been afraid once the truth came out about Project Ares that investigators would dig a little deeper and find out they'd been hoping to use Clark's DNA, along with those who had been exposed to the meteors, to clone themselves their own mutant army.

It had been Lionel who had started the whole sordid mess. When he had learned he was dying from liver disease, he had hoped to use Clark's blood to develop a serum which would extend his life expectancy. The trouble with the type of disease he had was that it was unpredictable. He really had no idea how long he had but had assumed he was living on borrowed time. When the serum, which, as they'd earlier discovered from Lionel's papers, was called CL-89, had failed to give Lionel what he needed, he had taken it one step further, creating a clone from Clark's DNA, combined with Lionel's. The clone itself had not proved to be completely viable, due to some failure in the process, but its organs had been harvested and Lionel had forced Dr Scanlan to perform a liver transplant. Combining his own DNA with Clark's had ensured he would never have to take anti-rejection medication.

Then Lionel had been murdered by Lucas, who had sought to take Lionel's cloning research one step further. He'd gone to Morgan Edge for help to finance the project and Edge had approached his old Vietnam buddies, knowing Slade had been trying to recruit those of the super-powered persuasion to be the poster children for the war against terrorism.

There had been so much information Clark and Lois had turned it into a series of stories, published over a week. Lex had quietly congratulated them, telling them the Daily Planet had had its biggest circulation in more than ten years.

The Blur, or soon-to-be Superman, currently had the biggest following of any of the superheroes. The time was ripe for him to step into the light.

"So when do you plan on having your 'coming out' party?" Lex answered with a smile.

"Geez, Lex, don't make it sound like ..."

"Well, you're the one who wanted to use such bright colours for your uniform. Not to mention the tight fit."

Lois grinned. "Lex, don't tease," she said.

Clark squeezed her gently, glad she was sticking up for him.

"Yes, Lex, don't tease."

Lois turned back to him. "Look at it this way, honey, when people see you in that outfit, at least they're not going to be looking at your face."

"Lois!"

She giggled and he growled at her, silently vowing he was going to get her back for her teasing later.

Lex grinned. "Face it, Clark, she's got you twisted around her little finger."

"She does not," Clark protested.

"Sure, little brother. Whatever you say. You didn't answer my question."

"I still have to find someone to make the uniform." He glanced at Lois, but she shook her head.

"I'm a reporter, not a seamstress," she said. "Sorry honey, but ..." She stopped mid-sentence, looking thoughtful. "What about Martha? She's good at sewing. She used to make all her own clothes. Well, except the jeans and stuff."

Clark bit his lip. He liked Martha a lot, but he didn't know if it would be appropriate to ask. It would mean having to bring both her and Jonathan in on the secret and he wasn't sure if he wanted to place that burden on them.

"Why not ask Bruce?" Lex suggested.

Clark shook his head. He'd already asked Bruce about the Batman outfit but Bruce had told him there wasn't very much to it. Certainly nothing on the scale of what Clark would be needing.

Lois spoke softly.

"Honey, I know you worry about it being too much of a burden for Martha and Jonathan but who else could you trust to make it?"

She was right. They needed someone they could trust since this wasn't something they could leave to a stranger.

"All right. We'll go talk to them tonight," he said. He looked at his brother. "Was there something else?"

"Yeah. Lucas' trial is coming up."

Lois frowned. "So soon? I figured it would take a few months at least."

"Well, with Ray Sacks' confession and the DDS stepping in to investigate all the goings-on behind Project Ares, Mayson thought the sooner the better. By the way, I heard they were pleased with Maddie's testimony."

Maddie had been asked to testify when the DDS had learned she had been one of the test subjects in Project Ares. The agents who had interviewed her had been curious about her abilities, and concerned when they learned her father had murdered her mother and her foster mother, then tried to kidnap her.

Clark had coached her on what to say to the agents when they began asking questions on his relationship with her and she'd been careful not to reveal anything which might suggest he was the Blur. In the end, the agents had only been interested in what had been planned for her in the project and had asked few questions about Clark.

Maddie had got her GED and was now working part-time for Luthorcorp as an intern. It wasn't what she wanted to do with her life, she told Clark, but it was something to do until she decided whether she would go to college or if she would take a year and travel the world.

"Anyway, Mayson told me Lucas has been asking for you."

Clark scowled. "Yeah? What does he want?"

"If I know Lucas, I'm sure he's going to try to blackmail you. Or something." Lex looked worried.

"Lex, we talked about this. I am not going to do something underhanded just to stop Lucas from blabbing. You know that's what he expects me to do and I'm not stooping to his level."

"I know that, Clark, but you can't just let it slide."

"What about what you were saying the other day about Lucas having power?" Lois said. "I mean, it would be an empty threat, since you know Lucas isn't going to reveal the truth to all and sundry."

"Maybe not," Clark told her, "but he could still send people after you. Or Lex and Lena."

"So why hasn't he done it before now?" she asked.

Lex looked thoughtful. "I have a little theory about that. I've heard on the grapevine that Lucas isn't exactly popular at the jail. It may take time for him to ingratiate himself with some of the inmates. Especially if he wants to keep the information about Clark secret."

"I just don't get it," Lois sighed. "He knows about Clark, Morgan Edge knows about Clark, so why wouldn't they use what they know to get themselves out of jail?"

"The only thing I can think is that they have something bigger in mind," Clark mused.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Lois said. "We go to the jail and talk to him."

Clark looked at her as she got up off his lap, missing her touch already.

"And say what? Lucas, great to see you, what are you planning on doing, since you know my secret?"

Lois frowned at him. "Subtle, Luthor."

Lex leaned on the doorframe, watching as Lois gathered her things, clearly ready to storm the gates of the prison.

"They're not just going to let you in. Even family has to wait for visiting hours."

Lois glanced at her watch. "It's almost visiting hours now. And we are family. Technically."

Clark sighed, knowing when Lois got something into her head there was no stopping her. He looked at his brother and shrugged. Lex just grinned.

Unlike the state penitentiary, the jail held mostly inmates convicted of minor crimes or those prisoners awaiting trial who were denied bail. Since Lucas had been charged with murder, among other things, he'd been considered a risk to society, so had been refused bail.

Lois clearly knew her way around the guards as she quickly managed to talk her way into the block where Lucas was being held. It was clear Lex had been telling the truth about Lucas' lack of popularity among the other prisoners. He had a bruise under his eye and a cut on his arm.

He turned and smirked at them.

"Wondering when you'd show up little brother. I wasn't exactly expecting Lane though. I hear congratulations are in order."

Clark ignored him. He hated Lucas. When Lex had learned he had a half-brother, he had searched the country for some sign of him, even though Lionel had told him that Lucas had died before his first birthday. Clark had understood Lex's need to find him, but a big part of him had been jealous. Lex finally had the brother he always wanted. Clark was only adopted, so that meant he wasn't really Lex's brother. That hurt more than anything.

_When Lex had finally found Lucas and brought him to Smallville, the resentment Clark had pushed down deep finally came to the surface. It had resulted in one of the worst fights they'd ever had. Clark had told Lex he didn't trust Lucas and Lex had responded by saying that Clark was just jealous._

_"Maybe I am," Clark spat, "but I still don't trust him. He's hiding something, Lex."_

_"You're one to talk about hiding things, Clark," Lex returned. "Besides, maybe you just can't handle the fact that I finally have a real brother. Face it, you hate him because he's my real brother and you're not even close to being related. You're not even human!"_

_Clark had stared at Lex, stunned that his brother would even say something that cruel to him. Ever since he'd learned the truth about himself, all he'd ever wanted was to be normal, and now Lex was throwing that back in his face._

_Lex seemed just as shocked at what he'd said, his face white. He stuttered as he spoke._

_"Clark, I didn't mean ... that wasn't what I ..."_

_"No, Lex. You made yourself very clear!"_

_Clark had sped away to the city, losing himself in one of the nightclubs which ignored his age in favour of the money he waved in their faces. He didn't return to Smallville for a week, and only after he heard that Lex had thrown Lucas out on his ear. His brother had realised that Clark had been right all along and had left more than a dozen messages on Clark's cellphone apologising.  
><em>  
>He looked up at Lois' nudge. Lucas was smirking at him.<p>

"What do you want, Lucas?"

"Now, is that any way to speak to family?" Lucas asked.

"You're not family. You just share Luthor blood with Lex. What ...do ... you ... want?"

"What does everyone want? How about my life back?"

"You murdered Tess and Helen and you kidnapped Lena. You deserve to be shot by a firing squad you shitty little Judas," Clark said angrily.

"Oh now, let's not forget that Judas betrayed Jesus for ... how much was it? Thirty pieces of silver? Tell me, where would Jesus be without Judas? Would people have even cared if he'd just died an old man, still preaching?"

"Spare me the religious philosophy!" Clark snapped. Lois put a hand on his arm, trying to get him to calm down.

"Well, I want more than thirty pieces of silver," Lucas told him, his eyes almost black with sheer hatred. "I wonder if the government would let me go if I gave them ... oh, I don't know. You?"

"You wouldn't have the guts," Clark seethed. "You're nothing but a coward and a liar, Lucas. Besides, why would the government care one iota for what you have to say when they have bigger fish to fry?"

"Oh, you're talking about Senator Burke. Yeah, the man was just lining his own pockets, thinking he could retire with a nice little nest egg. I guess every guy has his price. What's yours, Clark? What would you do to protect the ones you love?" He leaned against the wire. "I'll tell you, shall I? You're going to make them drop the charges against me or I'm going to make sure a few words get dropped in the right ear. Just enough to make them curious about the little boy that Lionel Luthor adopted all those years ago. Don't think I won't."

Clark wondered if Lucas would really do it. As much as he wanted to believe it, he knew the government would be very interested if Lucas suddenly decided to tell them Clark was the Blur. Not only would he be brought in for questioning but there was a good chance they would want to study him, and they would threaten not only Lois' welfare but also Lex and Lena's.

He paced the living room angrily, ranting. Lois stood watching him, not saying a word, as she had been doing for the last hour since they'd arrived home. Maddie had come in a few minutes earlier and she was also staring silently at Clark. Lois sighed and shook her head.

"He's been like this ever since he talked to Lucas at the jail."

"Lucas is a lying, snivelling coward and you shouldn't believe anything he has to say," Maddie answered.

"If only it were that easy," Lois sighed.

Clark stopped pacing, looking up at them. The two women stared back at him.

"What?" he asked.

"What?" Lois answered back.

He resumed his pacing, still angry, even knowing that this was exactly what Lucas wanted. He had wanted Clark to fear for his family, for his freedom. The question was, how much of it had been a bluff?

"Honey, I know you're angry, but you can't let him win."

"He knows enough about me that it could be potentially damaging."

"So we find more on him," Lois said. "Enough to damage his own credibility."

"And what if he decides to tell them to investigate my adoption? You know if they do, they'll find anomalies."

"What about the way Lucas was farmed out? I mean, we looked into Metropolis United Charities. The only thing it's going to tell the authorities is that Lionel was into some dodgy dealings. It's not going to prove that you're an al ... intergalactic traveller."

"What about the fact that I've never had a single blood test?"

Maddie frowned. "That sounds weird. I mean, when I started high school I got a look at my file and they had some medical records."

"Do schools do that?" Lois asked.

Maddie shrugged. "Mine did."

Lois looked back at Clark. He thought for a minute, then snapped his fingers.

"Lionel did get a doctor to mock up some medical files for me."

"So, then we just have to prove that you're just an ordinary guy," Lois said. "That there really is nothing special about you. We're doing that," she added. "I mean, with the glasses and everything."

And what better way, he thought, than to introduce the world to Superman. Lois would cover for him, like she always did when he had to go off on one of his missions.

If it worked, Lucas would just be seen as another crackpot telling tales to secure his freedom. Of course, Clark thought, that didn't stop Morgan Edge from spilling either, but then again, Edge had always had an axe to grind with the Luthors.

"Honey, don't you think it's time we started dinner?" Lois reminded him. "We're having guests, remember?"

He'd forgotten they'd invited the Kents over for dinner. Maddie had been looking forward to seeing her friend again. There was more than a hint of budding romance, but Clark had cautioned her about moving too fast. Still, CK, as Maddie had taken to calling him, seemed to be a good kid. He was smart and sensible.

Maddie had gone to her room to put her things away and had returned to switch on the tv, since Clark had calmed down considerably.

Clark glanced at the clock, realising he had about twenty minutes to get dinner started before the Kents arrived on the doorstep. If he was going to talk to Martha about sewing the uniform, he figured he should at least offer something by way of a bribe.

"So what are we going to make for dinner?" Lois asked.

Clark found himself grinning in spite of his earlier mood. Since he'd been teaching his fiancée to cook, she had taken to it with gusto. He glanced in the refrigerator. There was some chicken he'd brought out of the freezer to thaw early that morning, thinking of making a casserole. There should be plenty there, along with some salad.

"Well, we want something that's not going to take too long to prepare and will cook while we talk to the Kents." He again glanced in the fridge and found some gourmet cheese. "Hmm, how about some parmesan-crumbed chicken with taleggio stuffing?"

"What's taleggio?" Lois asked.

"It's an Italian rind cheese. It melts great."

"Ooh, sounds interesting. Okay, what do you want me to do?"

He began pulling ingredients out and handed her some garlic. She grimaced, then sighed.

"I get it. Chop the garlic."

"Just a couple of cloves, honey. We don't want it to overpower the dish."

"But it's an Italian dish, right? Don't Italians love their garlic?"

"Sure, but so do a lot of other cultures. People believe garlic has a lot of healing properties."

He continued preparing the chicken, glancing at her working now and then. She'd roughly chopped the garlic.

"Okay, that's plenty," he said, handing her some fresh thyme and parsley. "Chop that as well."

He took a large knife and sliced a pocket in the chicken, then mixed the taleggio with the garlic and herbs, filling the pockets with the mixture. He mixed breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese, a small amount of parsley and salt and pepper, then dipped the chicken fillets in egg, then the breadcrumbs.

"So what now?" Lois asked.

"Now we put it in the oven with some oil and butter to bake for about 25 minutes, then we add cherry tomatoes."

"Mmm, my mouth is watering already," she said. "I'm really beginning to like this cooking business. Although, maybe it's only because I'm cooking with you."

"Is that so bad?" he said, washing his hands, then wiping them with a soft towel.

"No," she answered softly.

He grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her.

"I'm sorry I got so wound up before," he told her.

She shrugged. "You're entitled. Besides, Lucas is a creep. I don't blame you for being sore at him."

"I worry," he sighed, pressing his forehead gently against hers. "I worry that I can't protect you."

"Stop beating yourself up," she said, then smirked. "That's my job."

"Ha ha, very funny," he returned sarcastically.

Lois hugged him.

"Sweetie, there's always going to be some guy like Lucas. What are you going to do? Wrap me in cotton and keep me in a glass cage? I'd go nuts and so would you. The reality is, I could get hurt by any number of things, all completely unrelated to Lucas or anyone else who claims to be your enemy. No matter how much you try to protect me." She kissed him back.

"Honey, I love you and I know that you worry, but it's just going to drive you crazy if you keep this up."

Clark heard the buzz from the intercom and Maddie called out.

"I'll get it!"

Lois turned her head to glance in the direction of the door. Clark estimated he had about five minutes before the Kents would be knocking. His lover turned once more back to him.

"I tell you what," she said. "After dinner, and after Jonathan and Martha have gone, how about we go fill that big tub and have ourselves a nice bubble bath." She ran her finger down the centre of his t-shirt. "And maybe afterwards, sailor, you might get really lucky."

Oh, this was not fair, he thought as she turned and walked out of the kitchen. She'd barely touched him and he was already hard with anticipation of what she had planned for him later that evening. Lois Lane was a wicked, wicked woman.


	63. Kent

Jonathan and Martha smiled at Lois as Maddie let them in. She went to hug the older couple, then their son, who had come in behind them.

"Hi sweetheart," Martha said, kissing her on the cheek.

She watched as Jonathan shook Clark's hand, smiling broadly, then looked around.

"This is a nice place you have here, Clark."

Clark shrugged modestly. "I like it."

"Awesome view of the city," CK said, looking out over the terrace. The cat, which had been sleeping in the sun, came in, shooting a glare at CK for disturbing him, then wound around Clark's legs. Clark picked him up, scratching him behind the ears. Lois could hear the cat purring even from where she was standing.

"Looks like the cat's adopted you," Martha smiled.

"Yeah, he never lets me pick him up," Lois complained, although it wasn't totally true.

"Maybe I just have the magic touch," Clark grinned.

"Nah, I just bet he smells the chicken on your hands," she replied.

Martha watched Clark with the cat for a while with a fond smile. She'd once told Lois that she could always tell if a man had a good heart by the way he was with animals. Clark had always been good with her cat and he was so gentle with Lena's kitten, which was beginning to fill out more and was now almost twice the size she was when Lex had brought her home for his daughter.

"What's his name, anyway?" CK asked.

"Um, you know, I never really gave him a name," Lois answered. "He's always been just Cat. Or Kitty. He just showed up at my townhouse one night and never left."

"Yeah, cats have a way of doing that," Jonathan said. "We used to get a few strays on the farm. If we fed them they'd never leave. Still, they were good for catching mice and rats, so we didn't mind so much."

CK nodded, wrinkling his nose. "We had this neighbour. Mr McNally. Every time he found a cat on his farm he'd shoot it."

Clark looked at him, putting the cat down when it began to make it clear it wanted to get loose.

"Why would he do that?"

"Jed always hated cats," Jonathan answered. "I heard that when he was a child he was scratched rather badly by one."

"Still, that's no reason to shoot them," Clark replied, looking horrified at the thought. He watched the cat for a moment as it went to its bowl on the balcony, which was empty, then looked up at him in disgust. "You know, when I was little, my brother tried to adopt a cat that wandered onto the grounds but as soon as our dad found out about it, he had Mrs Palmer call the animal shelter. Lex was so upset. Even our mom couldn't comfort him. He was still sick after what happened in the meteor shower and it was really lonely for him for a while."

Martha nodded understandingly. "I bet it was."

Maddie, who had been watching quietly, looked at CK.

"We should go. We don't want to be late for the movie."

Lois had forgotten that Maddie had made plans to go to the movies and a late dinner with her friends. She was glad that the teen had begun making a few friends and was going out more. She watched as the younger couple said their goodbyes. Jonathan and Martha smiled fondly at their son and the teen. It was clear they not only knew about the budding romance but were also happy about it.

Clark had gone back into the kitchen to find the cat food and had dumped some in the cat's dish. Cat stared up at him, narrowing its green eyes as if to say: 'that's what you're giving me? Where's the real food?'

Lois turned to the older couple. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked.

"What do you have?" Jonathan asked.

"Beer," Clark answered, coming back inside. "Or wine, if you prefer."

"Beer sounds great," Jonathan smiled, while Martha chose a glass of wine.

They all sat around the glass-topped table on the terrace.

"I've been reading your series on Slade Wilson and everything that's been going on," Jonathan commented. "I was interested in what your source was saying about the drug smuggling."

Clark nodded. "Yeah. I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago from this guy who writes a lot of conspiracy theories. He claims that the war in Vietnam was some kind of cover up so Americans could get into the drug trade over there and smuggle the product into the country."

"Do you really believe that?" Martha asked.

"I don't know, but the government officials we talked to said that they had been investigating something to that effect, although they wouldn't go on record as saying so."

"I guess it's like them saying that the Gulf War was just a cover for them getting their hands on oil reserves," Lois answered.

The older couple looked at her. Lois just shrugged. A couple of years ago she had been sent a package from a man who was a known conspiracy theorist, although he had been dismissed as a crackpot because he claimed there was some kind of chip in his television which allowed the government to bug his house without him knowing about it. The package had contained so-called evidence, from Kennedy to the alien autopsies at Area 51.

Little had the man known that there was actually a real live alien who had been living among them and helping them for years.

Clark got up. "I'm just going to go check on dinner and add the cherry tomatoes."

"Do you want some help, honey?" Lois asked. "I can make the salad if you want me to."

He bent and kissed her gently. "No darling, you stay out here and enjoy your drink. I've got this."

Lois watched him go inside with a smile, then turned back to see the smiles on the older couple's faces.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Martha said. "It's just nice to see you so happy."

"Not to mention Clark. I have to admit I thought he was a little, uh, uptight, when I first met him," Jonathan answered. "It's nice to see him so relaxed."

"I guess he is," she said softly. "Then again, so am I."

"So have you started making wedding plans?" Martha asked.

"Um, no, not really. I mean, we've chosen the date and everything, but it's been so busy at work that we haven't had time to decide on where we're having the ceremony or anything. We did talk about it briefly when we first got engaged. Clark just wants something simple. You know, with us, his brother, his best friend, Chloe and the two of you."

Jonathan glanced inside toward the kitchen then back at her, canting his head.

"He wants us there?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he knows you mean a lot to me and well, he's come to think a lot of you too."

"What about your sister?"

"I talked to Lucy a couple of days after we got engaged. Well, I guess she heard about it anyway, since it was in the Daily Planet, and of course she's going to be my matron of honour. I couldn't not include Lucy."

"How is she, anyway?"

"She's doing great. The baby's just learning to crawl and getting into everything. Lucy loves being a mom though. She and Ron are talking about having another baby in a year or so. She's really excited about coming down for the wedding."

"You know, when Jonathan and I got married, we had a small ceremony in the chapel in Smallville. Mind you, we didn't have a lot of guests."

"That's because your father hated me," Jonathan answered.

"Well, you did punch him," Martha told him with a little smile.

"Wait, what?"

"My father didn't want me marrying Jonathan and refused to come to the wedding. So Jonathan went to his office in the city to try to change his mind. They ended up having a shouting match in the middle of the office and then ..."

"Then I hit him," Jonathan admitted sheepishly. "Socked him right in the jaw."

Lois winced.

"Of course, when we adopted Clark, we managed to get him to visit a couple times a year, but he still thought I'd made a mistake by marrying a poor farmer rather than going on to study law like he wanted me to."

Clark had come back out and sat down, sipping his beer as he quietly listened to Martha.

"It wasn't to say it was ever easy," Jonathan said.

"No, it wasn't," Martha agreed. "My first year or so I made a lot of mistakes. I really began to wonder if perhaps my father had been right and I should have listened. I took a job as a law clerk for a while and it helped pay the bills, but I was commuting from the city to Smallville and it made things a little tense between us for a while. Anyway, this one rainy night I came home and the river had burst its banks. So I put on boots, I went out and I joined Jonathan and several of our neighbours to put sandbags down. We worked all night and by the morning, the sun came out. I got to tell twenty families they could go home again."

Jonathan put a hand over his wife's and squeezed gently.

"That's an amazing story," Lois told her softly. Clark nodded his agreement.

"I could never picture Lionel doing something like that," he said.

Jonathan's expression turned slightly sour. "There are a lot of things your father did that I'm not too fond of. Closing the plant was one of them."

Clark swallowed. "You know, if we could have, we would have found a way to stop that. It's just ... if Lex had stayed, there's no telling what Lionel would have done to Lena if he knew or even suspected she might have inherited some of Lex's meteor ability."

"Clark, sweetie, we're not blaming you, or Lex. You are not responsible for your father's decisions."

"Still, I feel bad that Smallville suffered because of our little war with our father."

"That was your father's doing, not you," Jonathan said firmly. "From what Gabe Sullivan once told me, he sent you and your brother to Smallville as some kind of object lesson."

Clark sighed. "When I was little, after my mom died, I used to wish that my real parents would suddenly turn up and they'd take me home."

"What happened to them?" Martha asked gently.

"They died. Not long after I was born."

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. Was it an accident?"

Lois glanced at Clark. This was the opening he needed to be able to broach the subject of his other-worldly origins.

"Um, not exactly," he said. He cocked his head to one side. "Sounds like dinner's ready. I just heard the timer go off."

He got up again and Lois glanced at the Kents before joining him inside. He was trembling as he stood at the counter. His hands were curled into fists and his knuckles were white.

"Honey?"

"I'm okay, Lo, I just ... the things Lionel did ... they just make me so angry sometimes."

She put her arms around him, hugging him.

"I know, baby, I know. Just as I know that if you could have found a way to fight him and save Smallville, you would have. It's not your fault. You heard them. They don't blame you."

"They did once," he sighed. "Or at least Jonathan did."

"That's because they didn't know you then. They didn't know what Lionel did to you. Or to Lex." She pressed a kiss to his lips, which were slack and unresponsive. She frowned. "Hmm, I'm beginning to think I should get a trade in. This model seems defective."

"Not funny," he told her, but his lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile.

"Got a smile out of you though," she said, turning to get the dinnerware from the cupboard. Clark refused to let her go, kissing her, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. She moaned, then sighed when he broke away.

"Not fair," she pouted.

"Dinner first," he told her. "I'm hungry."

"You're a bottomless pit," she retorted.

He grinned unrepentantly. "Ahh you love me." He went into the kitchen and opened the oven, pulling out the baking dish. "Grab the plates honey."

"Sure sweetie." She took the plates and the bowl of salad, picking up the silverware from drawer on her way out. When she rejoined the Kents, she noticed Martha looking concerned.

"Sweetie, we didn't mean to upset him, talking about his father ..."

"He's okay. Just ... you really have no idea the things Lionel did to him and his brother. It makes him mad sometimes." She pasted on a bright smile. "Anyway, Clark's cooked a delicious meal and I don't know about you but I'm starving."

"You cooked too, Lo," Clark said, holding a wooden board with the baking dish on top.

She snorted. "Please. All I did was chop up a few ingredients. You did all the hard stuff."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow at her. "You're cooking?" he said. He patted Clark briefly on the shoulder. "Son, I don't know how you do it but it seems you're a miracle worker. Martha gave up trying to teach Lois to cook years ago."

Clark broke out in a wide grin, snickering as he sat beside her, then waited to allow the older couple to help themselves first.

"Oh, it's nothing, really," he said.

"Oh darling, don't be modest," Lois said. "Anyway, I kind of like us cooking together."

"Well, you should be proud," Martha told him, sampling the chicken. "This is delicious."

"Where did you learn to cook, Clark?" Jonathan asked curiously.

Lois noticed he avoided mentioning the fact that it was unusual for a man brought up as the son of a billionaire to know something as basic as cooking, since it was something that servants would usually do. Lex still didn't cook, but all he had was a housekeeper.

"When I finished college I decided to travel around a bit and I worked in a lot of different places. I did lumberjacking up north and I met a guy who made the most amazing flapjacks. He taught me how to make them."

"I remember your flapjacks," Martha said. "They were delicious."

Clark smiled at her, then nodded. "I began taking an interest in the local cuisine and learned how to make various dishes. I'm no Master Chef, but I like doing it. It's all healthy fare too. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do eat junk food occasionally, but I like knowing what goes in my stomach."

"We had an organic farm in Smallville. Grew our own vegetables and made sure our pesticides and fertilisers were completely natural."

"I remember," Clark nodded at Martha. "Lex used to get your produce delivered to the mansion."

"You have certainly led an interesting life, Clark," Jonathan commented.

"Maybe. I caused my fair share of trouble when I was a kid, but most of that was to annoy my father. When I realised just what kind of man he was, there wasn't any point to it."

"Maybe it's none of our business, son, but what did happen between you and Lionel?"

"Uh, I think that's a conversation for inside," Clark said, glancing around.

Lois understood. While they were fairly high up, there was always a chance one of their neighbours might hear what was being said and he didn't want the truth getting out.

"It's sort of the reason why we asked you here. Lois and I have been talking this over and there is something very important we need to tell you."

Jonathan frowned, but nodded. He cleared his plate and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Seeing that everyone was finished eating, Lois got up and began picking up the plates. Martha got up to help her.

"Martha, don't be silly. You're our guests." She gestured toward the living room. "Why don't you go into the living room and make yourselves comfortable. We'll just clean up and put on some coffee."

It didn't take long for them to clear the table and rinse the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher. Clark quickly made the coffee, closing the sliding door to the terrace, then sitting down in the armchair. She carried the tray out, sitting on the arm beside him, her hand on his thigh to let him know she was supporting him.

She could see the couple were curious, but decided to stay quiet, letting Clark talk in his own way.

"Jonathan, do you recall the other day telling the story about how the Blur stopped the robbery at your grocery store?"

The blonde man nodded. "I said I'd like to shake that man's hand."

"What would you say if I told you you could? That you already have?"

Jonathan frowned. "I'm not understanding you."

Clark took a deep breath. "I'm that man."

The pair looked at each other for a long moment. Martha's mouth was open in a silent gasp. She turned back to Clark.

"You're saying ... you're the Blur?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Why are you telling us this, Clark?"

"There's something I need. A favour, if you will. It's something I cannot trust just anyone with, but I really feel like I can trust you. You've become good friends to Lex and I over the past couple of months and it means a lot that you've been able to overlook the things my ... Lionel did to people."

"You are not your father, Clark," Jonathan said quietly. "And we're honoured that you would consider us friends."

Lois squeezed gently, sending her fiancé a reassuring smile as the couple began asking questions. Clark answered them, telling them exactly what had transpired between him and Lionel to make him turn his back on his father, and why Lex had left the country. They'd known part of the reason was Lena, but they hadn't known in so much detail.

The Kents were alternately horrified then angry when they learned exactly what kind of man Lionel was. Martha had once told him she admired him for his courage in walking away, but she truly hadn't known the extent of it.

Then came the big moment, when Clark told them the truth of his origins. Again the couple looked at each other.

"You know, if we'd taken Route 9 that day, we would have ended up driving past Miller's Field," Jonathan said, when Clark told them where the ship had landed. "We decided to go to the feed store in Granville instead."

Lois immediately understood what that meant. There was a possibility they could have found Clark instead of Lionel's people. Clark would have had a completely different life if he'd been raised by the Kents.

"Why did your father name you Clark?" Martha said.

"Actually, it was my mom who came up with the name. She said it was through a friend of a friend. Pamela. She was Lex's nurse when he was little. Anyway, Pamela had a friend whose last name was ..."

"Clark," the redhead finished. "Not Pamela Jenkins?"

"Um, yeah."

"Dear God. I knew Pamela."

"I don't ..."

"My maiden name is Clark," Martha said. "That's why we named our son Clark."

The conversation finally turned to the favour Clark had wanted to ask.

"I know it's a lot," he said quietly, "but Lois says you're a talented seamstress and like I said, this isn't something I can trust to a total stranger."

He handed Martha the pages of designs he'd come up with. She looked it over, then nodded.

"I can understand why. Of course I'll do it, Clark."

Jonathan glanced at the sketch, then back up at Clark.

"I'm curious about something. What does the 'S' stand for?"

"Actually, it's not an 'S'," he said. "It's my family crest on Krypton. It means 'hope'."

Lois sat on the edge of the hot tub, watching as the jets stirred the water, turning the bubble bath into foam. She plunged her hand into the warm water, drawing lazy circles as she thought idly about the evening's conversation. It had gone much better than she had anticipated. Both Martha and Jonathan seemed not only happy to help, but honoured that Clark had trusted them with his secret.

She looked up, hearing footsteps on the tile as Clark padded barefoot into the bathroom.

"Hi," he said.

He was dressed in a dark blue bathrobe, the belt tied loosely around his waist, giving her just a glimpse of skin underneath; enough to make her see he was naked.

"Hi yourself. Almost ready."

"Good, 'cause there's something I've been wanting to do all night."

"Oh really? And what would that be, may I ask?"

He grinned and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her.

"This," he said, kissing her deeply, thrusting his tongue in her mouth. Unlike his previous kiss, this was meant to titillate and tease her to the point where she almost felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. His kisses tended to have a way of making her feel like she was floating on a cloud of bliss.

"Umm," she said as he finally broke away. "That was some kiss, Mr Luthor."

"Glad you liked it, Miss Lane." He slowly slipped the silk sleeves of her bathrobe down her arms, untying the sash so the white fabric pooled at her feet. He stood back, studying her as one would study a work of art.

"Clark?" she said.

"You are so beautiful, Lois. I mean, dressed you're completely gorgeous, but like this, you're ... I don't have words to describe it. You're perfect."

She smiled lovingly at him. "I think that says it all."

She reached for him, undoing the belt of his own robe, letting it fall open. He was already aroused, his thick shaft at full mast, rising up toward his belly. Lois licked her lips, sinking down to her knees as she wrapped one hand around his hardness and took him in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the head, tasting him, hearing the hiss escaping from his lips as he struggled to stay standing.

Determined to make him come apart she slowly began to take him in, or as much of him as she could handle, bobbing her head up and down. She could tell he was fighting the urge to thrust, clearly wanting to give her all the control and she increased her movements, feeling his pulse quicken. She urged him on, her hand forming a tight tunnel around the base, while her other hand sat at his hip, trying to keep him from bucking.

"God, Lois," he moaned, his hand curling in her hair. "Don't stop."

She had no intention of stopping, she thought. She began pumping with her hand, hearing his strangled cry and felt the warm gush of liquid in her mouth. It clearly hadn't taken much to bring him to the edge, not that she minded that at all, she decided with a grin as she got back on her feet.

He kissed her again, then lifted her up, stepping into the tub and sinking into the warm, frothy water. She clung to him, loving his gentleness as he lowered her. It always amazed her that such a big man could be so gentle when he wanted to be.

The tub had an outer edge which had been cushioned. Lois leaned against the edge, her arms around Clark's neck as they kissed, their tongues duelling. Clark's hands explored her body, sending what felt like fire through her veins every place he touched. Finally, one hand settled between her thighs, gently stroking until she became desperate enough to push herself against him.

She broke away long enough to beg for more.

"Clark, baby, please!"

She supposed he could have teased her, refused to give her what she wanted until she was literally sobbing for relief, but instead he answered her pleas by thrusting a finger inside her, then adding another, working her to a frenzy, making her go wild beneath him. His other hand supported her back, keeping her from thrashing too hard against the edge of the tub.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her as she came apart in his hands. He'd told her often enough that he loved to see her face when she came. Hell, he loved everything about her and Lois loved that he was secure enough in himself and his feelings for her that he could admit that.

Her body froze and she felt the telltale rush between her legs. Clark withdrew his hand and began slowly licking his fingers, his eyes on her the entire time.

With a grin, Lois pulled away, moving to the other side of the tub, sending him a look which dared him to come and get her, imprison her in his loving embrace. His eyes flashed with lust as he pursued her and it became a game to them. Lois would just let him get close enough to touch then she would slip away, making him chase her. The tub wasn't huge, by any means, but large enough for her to be able to move just out of his reach.

Finally, he grabbed her ankle as she tried to pull away again. Lois laughed breathlessly as he captured her. His expression of triumph reminded her of one of those old B movies where the villain would cry out triumphantly as he captured the heroine of the story.

"You're mine now," he told her. "I'm never letting you get away."

"And you're mine," she told him.

He kissed her deeply so she was even more breathless when he pulled away, stroking her hair.

"Always," he said softly. "Always and forever."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Clark, I need you."

"You have me."

She arched against him, feeling his hardness against her throbbing sex.

"I want you," she moaned.

He kissed her briefly, then pulled away. Lois stared at him, puzzled, until he gently rolled her over so she was almost floating on her stomach in the water. He took her hands and set them on the cushioned edge, then moved behind her, almost laying over her, his hand parting her legs.

"Oh, oh yes baby," she said as she felt him guide himself inside her. She braced herself against the edge of the tub as he slowly breached her, moving forward until he filled her, his hand on her sex, stroking in rhythm with his thrusts.

She reached behind her, fingers scraping his thigh as she clung to him, wanting to feel him deeper inside her. Clark's arm curled around her chest, keeping her a willing prisoner in his tight embrace. She pushed herself back against him, one hand on the cushion for balance as his thrusts became harder. She cried out as his strokes on her sex roughened and it seemed like it was going to be a race between them to see who could come first.

Lois bared her throat to him, feeling him bury his mouth in her neck. She gasped as he bit down, just enough to bruise. He seemed to enjoy marking her for everyone to see, but she didn't mind. She liked the world knowing she belonged to him as much as he belonged to her. The only shame of it was she could never mark him. Not physically, at least, but as he often told her, the mark was in his heart.

Clark's body froze and he trembled as he reached overdrive. Her inner muscles clamped down on him and she leaned back into him, tremors shaking her own body. Finally, they lay in the water together, catching their breaths. Or at least, Lois was. Clark didn't need to breathe as much as she did. Still, she could feel his pulse rate, higher than was normal, even for him.

Clark grabbed the loofah sponge, soaping it up with the lightly scented bath gel and began rubbing gently over her body. She lay back against him, loving the attention he gave to every part of her.

"Are you feeling better about Lucas, honey?" she asked.

"I think so. I think you're right, darling. We just need to find a way to discredit him. It won't be too hard. His mother, Rachel, has been in an institution for most of the past twenty or so years."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I think the doctors diagnosed her with paranoid schizophrenia. I don't know. I think Lionel must have had something to do with that."

"You think he might have had her diagnosed to keep her locked away?"

"I don't know," he said again. "I met her once, when she came to Smallville. She was adamant I was Lucas, even though there was no way I could be. She just wouldn't hear any alternative. She kidnapped Lex to get Lionel to admit to it, but of course he wouldn't."

"Stubborn bastard! Sounds like he always put his own interests above yours or Lex's."

"Yeah."

Clark was silent as he continued to bathe her and she understood he didn't really want to talk about his father. She decided to change the subject.

"So, funny story. You know the other day when you were filming at the studio?"

He was still filming segments for his show, although he was winding it down, since he no longer had the time or the inclination to continue it. There just didn't seem to be any point in it for him, especially since he had fallen for her. The shows were still funny and informative in their own way, but they were beginning to lack the spark that had drawn the viewers.

"Tell me," he said.

"Perry sent me out to do a fluff piece," she said.

"You? Mad Dog Lane? Fluff piece?"

"Watch it," she said, elbowing him in the ribs. He yelped and she turned to glower at him. "Don't even pretend that hurt, Luthor."

He grinned at her. "Guess I'm in trouble now, especially if you're calling me Luthor."

"Damn right you are! No one gets away with calling me Mad Dog Lane. Not even you!"

"Even if it's true?" he asked, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Ooh, you are so going to get it," she said, shoving him away. She rinsed herself off, then stepped out of the tub, wrapping a large fluffy towel around her, pulling out the clip that had kept her hair up, letting the chocolate-coloured waves cascade down her back.

Clark got out and turned off the jets, wrapping his own towel around his waist.

"Lois, come on. Tell me your story."

"Nope, not until you say you're sorry for calling me Mad Dog Lane."

As she walked out of the room, she heard him grumble.

"Women! Earth women!"

She smiled to herself, deciding she would let him grovel for a while. She knew they called her Mad Dog at work and secretly got a kick out of it. Of course, she would never reveal that to Clark in a million years. She had to have something she could hold over him.

In the bedroom, she turned the sheet down. It had been so hot at night that even the air conditioner wasn't helping and they only used the sheet to cover themselves. Lois began to dry herself off, loving the softness of the towel. Clark had admitted to her that he might not care about having the finer things in life but one of the few things he hadn't skimped on was the linen. Sure, he was invulnerable but even he appreciated soft towels and even softer sheets.

Her mind drifting, she was unaware of Clark coming in and taking the towel from her, slowly drying her off, each movement a gentle, loving caress. She watched as he rubbed her down, even down to each of her toes. Then he tossed the towel toward the ensuite bathroom, watching her with half-lidded eyes. God, she loved this man!

She let him lower her to the bed, surrendering to his kiss, curling up with him.

"So, tell me this funny story," he said softly as they lay together.

She had been sent out to do a fluff piece on an elderly woman who had been celebrating her one hundredth birthday. In spite of the fact it was a 'fluff' piece, she had enjoyed talking to the old lady who, unlike some centenarians she'd met, was fully in charge of her faculties. Lois only hoped that when she reached the same age, she looked just as good and had a brain just as sharp.

The lady had invited her to stay for the birthday party and Lois felt she couldn't say no, since Clark wasn't going to be home for a couple more hours. It was while she was at the party that a man about her age, who she later learned was the old lady's great-grand-nephew, began flirting with her.

"You know, my fiancé wouldn't like you flirting with me," she said finally, getting a little annoyed at the man's persistence.

"Aw, come on, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

She bit her lip. "Um, do you even know who I am?" she said.

"No, but I'd sure like to," he grinned, winking at her.

"Lois Lane."

The man almost dropped his cup in utter shock. "Um, L-L-Lane? The reporter who, um, just got engaged to Clark Luthor?"

"Yup. That's my fiancé."

He turned white as a sheet and winced visibly, looking as if he suddenly needed to find the men's room.

"Um, I gotta go."

"Who is this guy?" Clark growled.

"Nobody, honey. Anyway, it doesn't matter, since he went running for the hills as soon as he found out who you were."

"Well, good, because nobody flirts with my girl."

"Poor guy," she chuckled. "He looked so scared. I could have told him he didn't have to be afraid of you. I mean, you're just a big teddy bear."

"Teddy bear?" Clark didn't sound like he liked that at all. Lois laughed at him. "You're not intimidated by me in the slightest, are you?"

"Nope," she said, rolling over to lie on top of him. "That's because I know you love me and you would never, ever do anything to hurt me. I mean, look at you. You're probably the strongest man in the world." She took his hand. "You could break me with just a finger but you don't. You wouldn't. It's not in you."

He kissed her gently. "What did I do to ever deserve you, Lois Lane?"

"You love me," she said simply, as if that could explain everything. To her, it did.

She fell asleep in his arms, secure in his love for her. She had no idea what time it was when the phone rang, disturbing them both in their sleep. Clark mumbled, sounding barely awake.

"Wha? Lex, it's ..."

She could just hear Lex on the other end.

"I know it's four o'clock in the morning, Clark, but I figured you needed to hear this before it hits the wires. There's been an attack at the jail."

"Wha ... who?"

"Lucas. He was attacked. They've taken him to Met-Gen in critical condition."


	64. Superman

Lois sat up beside him, looking fully awake. She stared at him in shock, making it clear she had heard every word.

"Did you say ..." he began, suddenly aware he was squeezing the phone so hard it could easily break with just a little more pressure.

"Apparently it was some new kid they brought in just before lights out. They're still trying to figure out exactly what he did and how he did it but he threw Lucas through a wall."

"Through a wall?"

"Yup," Lex answered. "From what the warden was telling me the kid was screaming at him, swearing he was gonna kill him for what he did. Then there was some weird green light and that's when the guards grabbed him. He just about put them through a wall and they had to tase him to knock him out."

"How bad is Lucas?"

"Best I can determine from what they told me, he has a subdural haematoma. They have him in surgery now to relieve the pressure on his brain."

As much as Clark hated Lucas, this was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. Even if they were his worst enemy. He felt Lois' hand on his arm, providing comfort.

"Listen, Clark, I'm sorry I woke you guys, but I figured it was best you know about it before the story appears in the paper this morning."

"Yeah, thanks Lex."

"I don't want you going to the jail to investigate this. Actually, that's sort of come from Mayson. You're a witness in Lucas' case. The last thing we want is accusations of bias from the defence."

"Yeah, I hear you, Lex."

It still wasn't going to stop him asking questions, he thought as he hung up from his brother.

"My God," Lois said softly. He wrapped his arms around her, needing her close.

"I know."

"You know we're going to have to check this out, no matter what Lex says."

"You read my mind," he smiled, kissing the top of her forehead. "Let's get some sleep."

Lois curled up against him, softly caressing his chest in soothing motions. She seemed to fall back asleep quickly but Clark lay awake for a while. From what his brother had told him, some element of the attack sounded almost familiar. Still, there was no point losing sleep over it until he had more facts. He sighed and tried to relax, hugging his fiancée to him.

He woke again when the sun peeked in through the drapes, sending a warm beam across his face. Lois stretched beside him, yawning. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled sleepily up at him.

"Good morning," she said, her voice still thick with sleep, tilting her face for his kiss. He obliged, taking pleasure in the motion, pulling her into his embrace, knowing she would feel his 'morning wood'. Lois grinned. "Down baby. As much as I would love to spend the morning in bed, we have a lot to do."

"We do?" he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yup. We have an appointment this morning, or did you forget all about the wedding planner you decided we should hire?"

Rats! He had forgotten that. Knowing they were both going to be busy with their full-time jobs, he had suggested talking to a wedding planner to see what they would come up with. Not that either of them were keen on having a big to-do, but it just seemed easier to get input from a professional.

Lois rolled out of bed, leaving him bereft and pouting, walking naked into the bathroom to start the shower. He watched her perfect behind as she left the room, biting his lip, then pushed back the sheet and practically leaped out of bed, before going into the bathroom and pulling her into his arms. Lois giggled as he planted a hot, passionate kiss on her.

"Took your time, sailor," she said when they broke apart.

"Tease!" he retorted.

"Who me?" she said innocently. "Never!" She smacked his butt lightly.

So much for being in a rush, he thought later as he dried himself off and dressed in casual pants while Lois had gone out to the kitchen to see what she could make for breakfast. Lois had practically pounced on him in the shower and they'd made love. He grinned to himself, his body still tingling from that experience.

"What's that grin for?" Lois asked from the doorway.

He looked at her. She was dressed in a casual summer dress in an off-white colour which accentuated her athletic figure. He pretended to ponder the question even as he admired her gorgeous body.

"Hmm, let's see, it's our day off work, the sun is shining and I'm looking at the most beautiful woman in the world. So I grin."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Luthor," Lois answered.

Clark pouted and she laughed.

"Okay, maybe a kiss," she relented.

"Just a kiss?" he asked, moving toward her.

"Well, maybe more than one," she said before he kissed her deeply, running his hands down her slender body. She sighed happily as he looked down at her. "God, you drive me crazy."

"Let's go out for breakfast," he suggested. "I want to make the most of today."

She nodded, sounding a little breathless. "I love that idea."

They found a small diner named Chip's. It was busy but the server immediately found them a table and handed them menus.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.

"Tap water," they both said, then laughed, remembering a conversation they'd had over spring water not too long ago. Lois had told him of the disastrous blind date Lucy had set her up with and the incident with the water. The server gave them an odd look but Clark just smiled back at her, holding his fiancee's hand.

"It's a joke," he assured her. "But water would be great, thank you."

She frowned at him but turned away, leaving them to peruse the menus. Feeling mischievous, Clark tuned in with his super-hearing as he watched the girl talking with one of her colleagues.

"Do you know who's at your table?" the other girl was saying. "That's Clark Luthor."

"It is? Wow! I almost didn't recognise him. So that's Lois Lane. She's so gorgeous! No wonder he fell for her. I just love her articles in the paper."

"Yeah, I know. You better get back there. Don't want to keep them waiting."

"I doubt they'd even notice," the server said, sounding envious. Clark quickly returned his attention back to the table. Lois winked at him.

"So what's the gossip?" she asked.

He wrinkled his nose at her. "Damn, Lane, you know me too well."

She laughed at him. "You know what they say about eavesdropping don't you?"

"Yes dear," he replied, looking up as the server returned with the waters and to take their orders. He grinned slyly at her and she blushed. Lois kicked him under the table and he grinned back at her unrepentantly. Sometimes, he thought, I can just be downright evil.

They had another hour or so to kill before the meeting with the wedding planner and decided to walk along the city streets holding hands. A few people stared at them but Clark ignored them.

"Do you want to call the hospital and find out how Lucas is?" Lois asked.

Clark shook his head. As curious as he was about what happened to Lucas, he knew Lex would have called him if there was any news. He had already left a message for J'onn to call him once he had more information. He still wanted to investigate the incident, but he wasn't going to go to extreme lengths to do so.

As far as he was concerned, the matter wasn't particularly urgent and he would much rather enjoy his day off with Lois.

She stopped walking in front of a store. Clearly something had caught her eye. Clark glanced around uneasily, but didn't see any paparazzi hiding or preparing to leap out at them.

"I'm just going to go in here, okay, honey?"

Clark glanced up at the store. Victoria's Secret. She'd once dared him to walk in to the store and buy her a lingerie set, since he'd ripped one of her favourites. Clark had had no qualms at all about walking in. It was only when he'd found himself pounced on by the three salesladies that he realised he was in a lot of trouble.

"Uh, you know, I think I'll just sit this one out," he said.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Chicken," she commented dryly.

Clark grinned at her and was about to respond when his phone rang. He glanced at the display and realised it was J'onn. He answered and spoke quickly to the manhunter, arranging to meet him in a couple of minutes.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll go talk to J'onn while you're in there. I'm guessing you'll be at least twenty minutes."

Lois wrinkled her nose at him.

"Okay, thirty minutes," he amended.

Her expression turned into a glower, but he knew damn well once she started browsing in the shop she wouldn't be able to stop.

"You're just lucky you're cute, Luthor!" she retorted.

"I know I am," he said.

He watched her go into the store, then went around the corner to the alleyway, making sure no one could see him and no cameras were pointed at him before he sped off to Centennial Park where he'd arranged to meet his birth father's friend.

J'onn was pacing and looked up when he arrived.

"J'onn, what did you find out?"

"They were interviewing the boy who attacked Lucas all night. From what I gleaned from his mind, he was one of those Lucas was experimenting on. His name is Rudy Jones, but they call him Parasite."

"Parasite? Why?"

"Because he has the ability to steal other abilities. We believe he managed to steal strength from one of those he was locked up in the facility with. As for the memory-stealing ability ..."

"The what?"

"He is able to steal a person's memory."

Clark was struck again with that feeling of familiarity. He stared at J'onn.

"Who did he get that from?"

"A young man by the name of Kevin Grady."

Clark knew Kevin. When he was seventeen, he had run into the troubled youth, who he'd caught stealing from the Talon, the coffee shop he'd convinced Lex to invest in if only to get on Lana's good side. When he'd confronted the youth, Kevin had used his power, stealing Clark's memories.

Luckily for him, Chloe had found him and helped him track Kevin down. Clark had then helped Kevin figure out what had been done to him and they'd gone together to investigate a research facility where Kevin's father worked. Summerholt Neurological Institute had primarily been designed to help those with neurological disorders but one of the projects they'd been working on was technology into memory manipulation. Kevin's father had been one of the scientists involved.

Kevin had been horrified at what his father had done to protect his own interests and helped Clark restore his memory.

Clark stared at J'onn.

"Are you saying he stole Lucas' memory?"

"It looks like it. We won't know the extent of the damage until Lucas wakes up. The doctors have induced coma for a few days."

"Did Parasite say why he did it?"

"I believe he was intent on killing Lucas. He had become close with someone in the facility. A young girl. Lucas gave the order for some horrific experiments which the girl did not survive. He witnessed it all."

Clark winced in sympathy. He couldn't blame the kid for feeling murderous toward Lucas, since he'd had those same feelings himself from time to time. Still, killing Lucas wouldn't bring the girl back, or make up for his murdering Tess or Helen.

"I am sorry, Kal-El."

"For what?"

"I should have stopped this. I read the boy's mind before he was taken to the county lock-up and I knew what had happened to him."

"You couldn't predict what he would do if he saw Lucas. Sometimes even you can't see the future."

"That is true, Kal-El. Does this satisfy your curiosity? I understand from Miss Drake that you have been told not to investigate the attack."

"Yes, it does. Thank you, J'onn." He glanced at his watch. It had only been ten minutes, but he wanted to get back to his fiancée. "Will you call me if you hear anything from the hospital?"

"Of course."

Clark nodded and returned to the store. Lois was still inside. He glanced around, seeing a florist across the street. He ran across, dodging the line of traffic and chose a small but lovely bouquet of eleven perfectly formed red roses. When he'd first begun sleeping with women, he'd done a little research into the meanings, since he didn't want to give each woman the wrong impression. Women paid attention to that kind of symbolism, he'd thought.

When he'd fallen for Lois, he'd decided he was never going to give her any reason to think he was taking her for granted. So he'd recalled his research on flowers and knew that some held the belief that red roses not only signified love, but that eleven signalled the recipient was truly and deeply loved.

He returned to the lingerie shop and entered. The saleslady leaning on the counter looking bored suddenly perked up, unconsciously preening herself.

"Can I help you sir?" she said, beaming at him.

"I'm looking for my fiancée," he said.

Immediately the woman's face fell in disappointment at the news that he was 'taken'.

"Well, what does your fiancée look like?" she asked.

Clark was about to answer, but Lois came out of the dressing room, holding some garments. She frowned at him.

"Don't look, Clark," she said as she took them to the counter, quickly turning her back on it so he couldn't see past her.

He was tempted to use his x-ray vision, but knew she'd know anyway. He waited until she had handed over her card to the saleslady, then brought the flowers out from behind his back. She look at them, breaking out in a loving smile.

"Oh Clark, they're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you, darling," he said softly, "but a close match."

She bowed her head, blushing. He couldn't help hearing the awed whispers of the few women in the store.

"I wish my hubby would give me flowers," one commented.

Another one spoke to her clearly long-suffering significant other.

"See that, darling? You could learn a thing or two."

"Please, they only just got engaged. Of course he'd buy her flowers."

"You never bought me flowers on the spur of the moment when we first got engaged," the woman returned.

Clark snickered, taking his fiancee's hand as they walked out of the store. Lois laughed when he told her what he'd overheard.

"She's right, you know. Men could learn a thing or two. I guess they don't watch your show."

"Lo ..."

"Clark, as much as I hate to admit it, you have learned a thing or two through that show, but there's one thing it didn't teach you and that was about romance. That's what I love most about you. You're the most romantic man I've ever met, and for a man who was raised by someone who didn't know the first thing about love, that says it all."

He shrugged. "I just feel that saying you love someone doesn't mean anything unless you can show it as well."

"And you do," she said. "Every day."

They had reached the cafe where they were meeting the wedding planner. She had told Lois she would sit at one of the outside tables if it was nice weather. There was only one person sitting outside; a woman with auburn hair done up in a braid and skin almost the colour of porcelain. She was sitting in the shade of the huge umbrella, a cool glass of what appeared to be iced tea in front of her.

He frowned. He knew that face.

"Kimberley?" he said.

She looked up and smiled. "Clark!" She stood up, holding out a hand. He took it, squeezing it gently. Kimberley turned her smile on Lois. "You must be Lois."

"You two know each other?" Lois asked, staring at them both.

"Kimberley used to work for Lex. In the Europe office," Clark replied.

The older woman raised an eyebrow. "Work? More like indentured servitude," she said dryly, then laughed. "I'm kidding! Let's sit down. Would you two like some iced tea? They have an amazing selection here."

Lois sat down opposite her, putting her bag down on the spare chair, while Clark sat beside her.

"So you worked for Lex?"

There was a slight pause as the waitress came out to take their orders.

Kimberley nodded. "I was his assistant for about three years. Although I jokingly once said to him I was his 'work wife'." She chuckled. "Did practically everything for him. Even cooked for him a couple of times when his housekeeper went off sick. I tell you, that man would have forgotten his head if I hadn't been there to keep it screwed on for him."

Kimberley had a slight accent which Clark guessed was British. She had moved to England with her mother when her parents had split up but had moved to California not long after she'd left her job with Luthorcorp. Or so Clark had heard.

"So how did you end up here? And becoming a wedding planner, of all things?" Clark asked.

"Well, don't get me wrong, I mean, I loved my job, and Lex was a great boss, it's just, it stopped being fulfilling. Anyway, I was talking with a friend of mine and he had been thinking about going into business. Since I was so great at organising things, he decided to bring me on board as a partner."

Clark smiled. "That's great. We did a little background research on the business and you've had some great feedback."

While he'd researched fairly thoroughly, he'd had no idea that Kimberley was one of the partners in MarKim Wedding Planners as there had been no profile on the directors. Kimberley had always been a private person. Still, he knew enough about her from Lex that he had every confidence in her ability as a wedding planner. She had been not only efficient, but she had the uncanny ability to anticipate Lex's needs before he even knew what he needed.

"So how's Lena?" Kimberley asked.

"She's doing well. You know, her eighth birthday is in a couple of months."

"Yeah. She's growing up fast. I read about what happened in the Daily Planet. Poor kid."

"Lex is handling it," Lois said quietly.

Clark glanced at her. Lois seemed a little uneasy, perhaps even a trifle jealous. Kimberley sat back to peruse her folder as the waitress came out with their iced teas. He touched his fiancée's arm.

"Honey, I know what you're thinking, but no."

She frowned at him. "No?"

Kimberley looked up at that, then snickered.

"I guess you just never seem to be able to live down your reputation, huh, Clark?" She grinned at Lois. "Let me assure you, Lois, that I have never, nor would I ever be interested in Clark. For one thing, he's not my type."

"What type is that?" Clark asked.

Kimberley shot him a look. "You know very well what my type is, Clark Luthor. The only trouble is, he never saw me that way and I doubt he ever will."

Lois glanced from Clark to the other woman, her brow furrowed as she tried to interpret the looks between them. Then her brow shot up.

"Oh! Really?"

"Afraid so," Kimberley sighed. "And if you ever tell him I once had a crush on him, Clark, I will kick your ass from here to Sunday."

He grinned back at her. "Yes ma'am." He noticed she didn't have a ring on her finger. "So, are you ..."

"Am I what? Married? In a relationship? No, but that doesn't mean I can't help a couple organise the perfect wedding. Speaking of which ..." She opened the folder to show them some photographs of various weddings the company had organised.

Kimberley was soon regaling them with tales, some of which Clark found almost too unbelievable to be true, of the various weddings she'd done and how the couples had behaved. She was warm and personable and even had Lois at ease after a few minutes. By the time they left, they had some ideas for themes which they could talk over and discuss with Kimberley in their next meeting.

"I like her," Lois said. "She seems nice. I think she'll do a great job."

"At least she's prepared to listen to what we want and work with us."

Kimberley had told them a couple had come to her with such grandiose ideas the entire thing would have cost upwards of a hundred grand, which the couple did not have. She'd told them it was a wedding, not a coronation, and they weren't famous movie stars who could afford to have limousines which cost hundreds of dollars an hour to hire.

She had listened to what they wanted and not once had ever told them what they should or shouldn't do. She asked questions which they guessed were designed to help her determine what their tastes were and gave them some ideas she had already come up with based on an online profile they'd been asked to create when he'd first considered the small company, having decided they wanted the personal touch of a small business compared to a bigger company which boasted hundreds of satisfied clients.

By the time they had finished their meeting with Kimberley, it was past lunchtime and they had promised Martha they would be at the grocery store that afternoon with the fabric. Martha had decided there was no time like the present.

CK was helping out in the store, leaving Martha free to work with Clark in the sewing room. Lois sat with Jonathan in the sitting room, watching LNN, a local 24-hour news station which was owned by Luthorcorp. Lionel had bought the station about three years earlier, clearly hoping to control the flow of information about Luthorcorp.

Clark stood still as Martha took measurements and studied the sketches she had made from his own design. Jor-El had already provided him with the specifications for the pattern and he had passed those on.

He sat watching as she worked, admiring her skill. Lois had been right to suggest Martha, he thought.

After a couple of hours working, she finished the top part of the suit and asked him to try it on. Clark went into the small guest room and changed his shirt. There was a long, narrow mirror on the door and he checked his reflection. The top was tight, although not uncomfortably so, moulding to his form so it showed every muscle.

He returned to the other room so Martha could check how it looked. She made a few small adjustments of the fit, but seemed fairly satisfied, then sent him off to change his shirt again, while she went back to work on the pants. While they were designed to mould to his legs as much as the top, Clark wouldn't go so far as to call them tights.

"Are you sure you want to do this all today?" he asked, not wanting to feel like he was asking too much of her.

"Clark, don't worry, sweetie. You help so many others out there, it's nice to be able to return the favour."

He noticed she didn't talk about the robbery a year earlier, although judging from what Jonathan had said, it had affected them both deeply.

"I'm glad I was able to be there when you needed me," he said quietly. "But, you know, I don't do it for the reward. I do it because it's the right thing to do."

Martha gave him a brief hug. "I know that sweetie," she said.

There was a knock on the door.

"Hey, you two. Dinner's about ready."

Startled, Clark looked at the clock on the desk. He hadn't realised how much time had passed. Martha grinned and put down the pants.

"Jonathan decided to cook steak with his own special marinade. You are in for a treat."

Clark followed her out. Lois smiled at him as she passed him, carrying a large covered dish. He could smell the flavours in the marinade and went to pick up the cover.

"Uh uh, no peeking," she said. "Go wash up for dinner."

"Yes boss," he said, earning him a sharp look from Lois. He grinned cheekily back at her and went to wash up.

CK had clearly been home a while as he joined them for dinner. He was planning to meet friends at the movies later. Maddie was having dinner at Lex's as he wanted to talk to her about Europe. She had finally decided she was going to spend a month travelling around Europe toward the end of the summer, then start college, although she had yet to decide what she was going to study.

The five adults laughed and talked over dinner, keeping to trivial matters. Clark wasn't sure if Martha and Jonathan had told CK what they knew, but he trusted them to make their own decision about the matter.

After dinner, Martha returned to work, whipping up the rest of the uniform in very little time. Clark tried it on again and modelled it for her.

"What do you think?" he said.

"It looks great."

He turned, studying his reflection in the mirror. The red cape billowed out behind him.

"I love the cape," Martha said. "It'll look great when you're flying."

Clark went out to the living room. Lois turned at the sound of his footsteps and stared at him.

"Wow!" she said. "I mean, I've seen the drawings, but ..."

Jonathan looked equally stunned as he looked him over, then snickered.

"I'd lose the glasses though, son," he said.

"Oh, yeah," Clark said sheepishly, taking off the glasses.

Suddenly there was an announcer on the television.

"We've just heard that there has been a massive gas explosion at a plant thirty miles outside of Metropolis. It is not known yet whether there are any casualties or how widespread the damage is."

Clark didn't wait for the rest of the announcement, flying out the door. As he flew up into the sky, he scanned the area and saw the site of the explosion. It was massive. Flying down at speed, he made his way to the inferno, scanning with his x-ray vision to find the workers who had probably barely started their night shift.

He knew his ice breath wouldn't be enough to stop the flames from spreading as more fireballs erupted. There was a small community about two miles away and a forest in between which was dry as tinder. He knew if he didn't put it out quickly and decisively, the trees would go up and the fire would threaten the community.

There wasn't time for him to fly all the way to the Arctic, so he did the next best thing, flying to a lake about a hundred miles away and freezing it, pulling up the ice and flying with it over the worst of the flames. The ice quickly melted in the heat, putting out at least some of the fire, but it wasn't enough.

There was still another part of the plant to deal with as the heat threatened to ignite more gas tanks. Emergency crews were already working to stop the spread of the flames. Clark called out to the firefighters.

"Turn some of those hoses on the tanks. Maybe it'll help cool them down."

"Wait, who are you?"

Clark didn't answer, speeding off to the area of the plant closest to that still burning. There were workers trapped and from what he could see, a couple of them were injured. He ran through the wall of flame, hearing gasps from the workers as he appeared on the other side.

"It's all right. I've come to get you out of here."

"Take Jake first," one of the men called out, pointing to a young man lying on the floor, apparently unconscious. He was bleeding badly from a wound on his head. "He was hurt bad in the explosion."

"I can take more than one," Clark said, quickly counting. There were at least a dozen workers, including the injured.

"He needs help more."

Clark nodded, not wanting to waste time on arguing. He picked up the fallen man, speeding off with him, taking him out to the paramedics. He paused only long enough to make sure he was safely in their hands before speeding back.

The firefighters were still trying to put out the flames and while he wanted to help them, he was more focused on getting to the trapped workers. There was a tank near where they had been working and it was in danger of exploding. The pressure was building up and he knew it wouldn't be long. Once again running through the flames, Clark called them.

"Come on. You need to get out of here. That tank is going to explode."

"What about the fire?"

"I can clear a path through. You need to go. Now!"

Too late, he realised as the pressure gave way and the tank exploded in flames, sending pieces of metal flying. He quickly shielded the most exposed workers from the blast, even knowing he couldn't possibly protect them all. He just hoped Jor-El had been right about the material as this was going to be a rather extreme first test.

Another wall of flame blocked their exit and Clark knew there was no other choice. He quickly x-rayed, seeing the wall on the far end was the exterior of the plant and smashed through it.

"Go, go," he called, moving to help two of the workers injured in the secondary blast.

Not waiting until the eight men and three women were safely away, Clark went back into the building and helped emergency workers fight the rest of the fire and prevent any more explosions.

By the time it was over, more than half the plant had been destroyed by fire or in the initial and secondary explosions. Four workers had been killed in the first blast and at least a hundred had been injured, including two firefighters.

Super powers or no, Clark was exhausted. Still, he waited long enough to make sure the fire was out and any nearby properties were safe.

The fire chief approached him as he stood scanning the debris.

"Thank you just doesn't seem appropriate for what you did. You saved a lot of lives tonight."

"Thanks is all I need, chief," Clark said quietly. "How are your men?"

"They'll be fine. One has second-degree burns but the docs are optimistic. He would have died if you hadn't got him out of there."

"I'm only sorry I couldn't save those who were killed."

"You couldn't predict this would happen." He frowned. "I don't even know what to call you. Blur sounds a little ..."

"I know," he said. He didn't know what else to say and turned to go. "I should leave you to clean up."

"Again, thank you."

Clark flew home, realising as he entered through the terrace doors that it was almost two in the morning. He moved quietly through the apartment, but he shouldn't have bothered. She was sitting up in bed, reading on her I-pad. She had clearly been waiting for him.

Lois practically threw the tablet on the bed, shoving back the covers and running to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm so proud of you," she said.


	65. Aftermath

**_Gas Explosion at Refinery Kills Six – Arson Suspected  
>by Lois Lane and Clark Luthor<em>**

_Police and fire investigators confirmed today that they now suspect the series of explosions at the Connell Refinery Thursday night were arson._

_Fire investigator Gary Kenton says forensics have combed the wreckage and discovered what appear to be timing devices._

_"We believe the explosions were meant to go off at set times. This appears to be a deliberate act of sabotage."_

_Four workers who had just commenced the night shift were killed instantly in the initial blast and two others died later in hospital. Police have now classified their deaths as homicides._

_Fire officials say the death toll would have been more if they hadn't been assisted by Superman, otherwise known as the Blur._

_Chief Bill Robinson praised the efforts of Metropolis' own superhero who he says stayed until the last fire was out and all workers accounted for._

_"He didn't even need thanks," the chief says. "He just went in and did his job. Hell, he saved a lot of lives that night, including two of my men. They would have been fried if he hadn't been there. We owe more than our thanks to him."_

_"You should have seen it, man," Eddie Tambour, a casual worker at the plant says. "He just dropped this great big hunk of ice on the fire."_

_Firefighters say while the water from the melted ice got the worst of the fire, it wasn't decisive and gas tanks in other parts of the plant were close to igniting._

_Another worker, who was injured in the initial blast, says he witnessed what he believed was a miracle._

_"He just came running through this wall of flame like it was nothing. He wanted to get us all out but we told him to take Jake first, 'cos he was out to it, so he takes Jake out and he's back in like thirty seconds. Well, then the tank goes up and he just grabs as many of us as he can and shields us from the explosion. It was like nothing I'd ever seen."_

_The Blur first appeared in Metropolis a little over two years ago but until recently no one has actually seen his face. However, witnesses now claim the hero has come out of the shadows. He was seen assisting emergency services at a fire and a six-car pile-up less than a week ago._

_"You should see him. He's like ... a god," Linda Nash, another casual worker at the refinery claims. "And that suit ... well, let's just say I wouldn't mind being swept up in his arms."_

_Mayor Welling has expressed his deepest sympathy to the families of those who died at the refinery and praised the efforts of the city's hero._

_"We could all learn something from Superman," he says. "In spite of recent backlash against vigilantism, he has continued to do his job helping the citizens of Metropolis."_

_Investigations into the explosions are continuing._

"All right, where were we?" Perry barked. He'd been in full editor mode since the story on the refinery explosion had come out.

"Uh, chief, you were about to discuss Superman," Lex reminded him.

Lois glanced at the other man. Lex had clearly been enjoying himself since the story on Clark's appearance as Superman had come out. Poor Clark hadn't had a minute's respite from his brother's teasing since that night.

_As soon as Lois had realised Clark had left the Kents, she had quickly gathered their things. Martha and Jonathan had looked at her._

_"Sorry, it looks like duty calls," she said. "I need to get to the refinery. There's a story brewing."_

_Martha nodded. "I suppose that is something you'll have to get used to with the two of you getting married."_

_Lois shrugged. "It's who he is, and I would never ask him to change. Nor would he ask me to change."_

_She had left the couple, driving Clark's car to the refinery. Police immediately blocked her. She flashed her press pass, but to no avail._

_"Sorry Lane, no one's getting through. The fire could still spread."_

_Frustrated, Lois stood at the barrier. Suddenly there was a collective gasp from the officers standing guard and the ground shook from another explosion. Even though she knew Clark would be okay, she still worried._

_"What's going on?" she asked the officer after he'd spoken into his radio._

_"Dunno. Sounds like another gas tank ruptured. Get back from the tape," he said. "We got an ambulance coming out."_

_"Was someone hurt?"_

_"Yeah. We think a couple of workers were killed, but the Blur just brought someone out."_

_"You mean he's there?" she said excitedly, pretending she didn't know very well Clark would be there._

_"Yeah, man," a worker said, standing behind the tape watching proceedings. He seemed dishevelled but otherwise unhurt. "You should have seen it. He flies over with this great big hunk of ice and drops it. He was like a ..."_

_"Like?"_

_"I dunno. I mean, he's the Blur, but you know, before we never saw him. Now he's like ..."_

_"A Superman, maybe?" Lois said, inwardly grimacing. She'd always tried not to put words in people's mouths when she was interviewing them._

_The man didn't seem to mind._

_"Yeah, Superman. That's kinda a cool name."_

_Lois wrote frantically in her notepad. "What's your name?"_

_"Eddie, miss. Eddie Tambour."_

_"Are you a worker here?"_

_"Casual, like. I go to school most nights. You sure are pretty for a reporter miss."_

_"Thank you," she smiled. "What else can you tell me?"_

_It was clearly going to be a long night for both of them. Lois got as much information as she could from police and the workers who had already made it out of the refinery, turning in her story just before midnight, hoping it would make the early morning edition. It would at least make the online edition, she thought._

_She waited up for Clark, anxious for his return, reading the various reports on her I-Pad. As exhausted as she was, she didn't want to go to sleep until he was home and safe. She knew his first mission as Superman was a success once the reports came through online. The forums quickly became overloaded with questions about the appearance of the superhero.  
><em>  
>"Lane, you still with us?"<p>

Lois looked up at Perry.

"Sorry Chief. I was miles away."

"Yeah, I'll bet. What I was saying was, I want everyone to get me more information on Superman. I want to know where he sleeps, what he eats. Above all, I want pictures. That understood?"

"Yes sir," they all chorused.

The door opened abruptly and Clark came in, looking a little dishevelled. His glasses were askew and his tie was crooked. Lois glanced at him, realising one of his shirt buttons was undone and he was showing blue underneath. She quickly gestured with her hand.

"You get dressed in the dark this morning, Luthor?"

"Uh, no sir. I, uh ..."

"He wasn't feeling well this morning, Chief," Lois answered quickly.

"Another migraine?" Perry asked, sounding unsympathetic.

"Uh, yes sir," Clark said, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, migraine or not, next time you're late to one of my meetings, I'll dock you half a day."

Lois grimaced. Perry was clearly in a mood. She glanced at Lex, who shrugged. He had no idea what that was about either.

"Sorry sir, I just ... I overheard on the police scanner the Bl ... uh, Superman stopped a bank robbery this morning. A few minutes ago, actually."

So that was why he'd left so abruptly, Lois thought. She understood he sometimes had to leave without saying goodbye but it would be nice if he shared that information with her so she could chase up the story. Still, she supposed he would give her the details when they were alone.

"So where's the story?" Perry said. Clark looked at him blankly. "Do I have to bump you back to full-time columnist, Luthor?" the older man growled. "Get out there and get the story. And don't come back until you have an interview with Superman."

Clark hurried out. Lois got up to follow him.

"Where do you think you're going, Lane? You're the one who broke the first story, so why haven't you managed to get an interview with him?"

"Um, working on it, Chief."

"Well work harder!" She hesitated. He swatted at her. "Great Caesar's Ghost, Lane. Are you an award-winning investigative reporter or aren't you? So investigate!"

Lois swallowed hard and left the boardroom, hurrying to her office. Clark had clearly been pacing, but he stopped as she came in.

"Wow!" she said.

"Yeah, he's in a mood."

"So what do we do now?"

"I guess we have to get him an interview with Superman."

"Why don't we start with the bank robbery this morning," she said, taking out her notebook. "Tell me what happened."

Clark nodded and sat down, telling her how he had heard about the robbery on the police scanner. They'd decided that Superman would easily hear police radios so would pick up on anything happening around the city. Three armed men had walked into the bank, telling everyone inside to get on the floor, then they'd forced the manager to open up the vault. A teller had managed to get to the switch for the silent alarm, which had alerted the police.

Clark had gone in, telling the men to put their guns down. He knew he could have just used superspeed, but he'd been aiming for as much visibility as possible. The men, of course, had tried shooting him and had been stunned when the bullets had bounced off. Not wanting anyone to get hurt from a ricochet, Clark had used his heat vision on the guns, forcing the three men to drop them.

He'd just finished relating the story when Lex came in.

"Lex?"

He sighed. "If I hear one more Great Caesar's Ghost I'm going to go crazy," he said.

"Yeah, what's up with Perry?"

"You guys haven't seen the Inquisitor this morning?"

Lois looked at him, puzzled.

"No. What's in it?"

"Only a claim that they have the scoop on Superman. You haven't talked to any reporters have you, Clark?"

Clark shook his head. "I haven't talked to anyone."

"Well, they must be getting their information from somewhere. What are you two doing about it?"

"We're working on it," Lois assured him.

"Good. Because I really don't want to be scooped by that rag. I had enough trouble with them when I was a kid." He bit his lip pensively. "There's going to be a lot of competition out there to get the real story on Superman. I don't know how you two are going to pull this off, but ..."

Lois had had some ideas about that. She thought they could wait until Superman was called to another incident, then she would grab a photographer and try to get to it before Superman had to leave.

"I don't know, Lois," Clark said dubiously. "I mean, I'm usually in and out."

"Still, even before Lois knew the truth about you, you were calling her," Lex pointed out.

"That's true," Clark conceded. "It still won't get Perry his pictures though."

That was the kicker, Lois thought. Even if they could get to a scene in time, there was no telling whether they'd get any good shots. She didn't want it looking like a set-up.

Clark began to get a faraway look in his eyes. He sighed.

"What is with people today? Now someone's trying to rob an armoured car."

"This is a job for Superman?" Lois asked.

Clark sent her a look. "It's a couple of blocks from here."

"Go!" she told him, knowing there was no way for her to make it look like she had 'accidentally' stumbled on the armoured car being robbed. She watched him go, then looked at Lex.

"Never a dull moment with you two is there?" Lex said wryly.

"Tell me about it."

As luck would have it, Jimmy Olsen had been sent out to get drinks from a coffee shop which was less than two hundred yards from where the armoured car was being robbed and he had dropped the coffees to get a few shots of Superman in action. His good fortune meant Perry eased up on the pressure on the rest of the staff and Jimmy, of course, was the star of the Planet's photographers for the rest of the day.

Lois' chance came two days later when she heard the police scanner calling an alert downtown. There had been a bomb threat in a corporate office in one of the high rises. The problem was, the anonymous caller had told the bomb squad an explosive device was planted in the boardroom, but it was well-concealed. Clark had gone in to try and find the bomb.

Lois waited behind the police tape, wearing the small communicator in her ear. Bruce had had Lucius Fox develop the communicators so Justice League members could keep in contact at all times and she often used it when she wanted to keep tabs on superhero activities.

Clark had been gone about ten minutes when he came out, holding what appeared to be a deactivated explosive device and spoke to the bomb squad chief. For the benefit of those watching, she called out to him.

"Superman! Superman, it's me. Lois Lane."

Clark turned and looked at her, then nodded in answer to something the chief said to him before stepping over to her.

"Miss Lane?" he said.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I deactivated the device," he said simply.

"But was it an explosive?" she persisted.

"Yes, Miss Lane."

She fought a slight tremor as his voice deepened slightly. She found it more than a little arousing, wanting to whisper so many dirty things to him.

"Superman," she said aloud. "I would really like to talk to you some more."

"I'm sorry, Miss Lane, but I don't do interviews."

Lois heard other reporters watching give sighs of frustration.

"Haven't you read the stories in the Inquisitor? Wouldn't you rather people hear the truth about you?"

Clark visibly bit his lip, then nodded. "I suppose I can give it some thought," he said, again for the benefit of those watching the exchange. "Please excuse me," he added, turning back to the bomb squad.

Lois wondered fleetingly if the squad chief resented Superman's presence, but he didn't seem to be that perturbed by it. He was frowning as he examined the device and she wondered what that was all about.

Unable to get the interviews she needed from police, Lois returned to the office with an odd feeling that something wasn't quite fitting the puzzle. Clark came in, carrying coffees and maple donuts. She grinned up at him.

"You are my hero. I was just thinking how much I needed a good coffee."

He grinned back and handed her the cup. She sniffed the contents appreciatively. He'd bought her favourite hazelnut latte.

"So did you get anything out of the police?" he asked as he sat down.

"No. Guess they weren't in the mood to co-operate. What did the bomb squad say to you?"

"Only that they'd never seen anything like it before."

"Did anything about that whole incident strike you as weird?"

"Weird how?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I mean, why would someone make an anonymous call about a bomb?"

"Maybe it was meant as a message."

"To whom though? The bomb squad? The media?"

"Beats me."

"Who owns those offices anyway?"

"A guy named Henry Harrison. Why?"

"I don't know. It's just bugging me. It's like my spider sense is tingling."

"You don't have spider sense."

Lois rolled her eyes at him. She began typing on the computer.

"Do we have a bio on this guy?"

"I guess so," Clark said, bringing his chair around to her side.

Lois ran a search through the database and found a few articles on Harrison.

"Yeah, here it is. Henry Harrison buys gas refinery." She stared at Clark. "That's gotta be a coincidence."

"No such thing as coincidence," Clark said, reading through the article. "Says here he bought the Connell Refinery twenty years ago for the princely sum of ten million dollars."

"So, either someone has a personal grudge against Harrison, or ..."

"This is one mighty coincidence."

Lois frowned and began searching her desk for a file.

"Where did I put that report from the fire investigators?"

Clark pulled his glasses down his nose, clearly using his micro-vision or his x-ray vision. He dug through a pile and picked out a slim folder.

"Here it is. You know, you really need a better filing system."

Lois growled and smacked his wrist. "You can keep your mitts off my filing system. I know where everything is."

"You clearly don't since you were just looking for a file you used two days ago."

She turned on him with a fierce glare.

"Do I tell you how to write your column or run your cable show? I don't think so."

"Oh I'm not gonna touch that with a ten-foot pole," he said, grinning.

"Smartass," she hissed.

"I have it on good authority you think more of my ass than that," he returned with a smirk.

Oh, he was so going to get it, she thought. She didn't know how and she didn't know when, but she was going to give it to him good. And so much for that lingerie she had bought. She had been planning on wearing it the night of the explosion, but after everything that had happened, the opportunity hadn't presented itself again.

Clark looked at his watch.

"We better get going," he said.

"For what?"

"We promised Lex we'd come over for dinner, remember? Or did you forget? You know how Lena's been."

"I thought she was getting better now that she was talking to the psychologist?"

"She is getting better, but the psychologist said it was important for Lena to have a sense of normality. When I wasn't dating up a storm, I was always over there and since we've been together ..."

"You haven't been spending as much time with her," Lois sighed, realising he had a point. Lena might be getting better but she still needed that sense of family around her. "Okay, just let me log out and pack these away," she said, indicating the files. She thrust them into her briefcase, planning on reading them in bed.

Lena practically jumped into her uncle's arms when they arrived at the house.

"Uncle Clark, Uncle Clark!"

"Were you expecting someone else?" Clark laughed as he hugged her and carried her along the hallway. "Something smells good. What's for dinner?"

Lena wrinkled her nose. "We're having vegetarian lasagne."

"Vegetables are good for you, Lena," Clark told her with a grin at Lois.

"Why? What are they gonna do?"

"They'll make you grow big and strong. And put hairs on your chest."

Lois bit back a giggle as Lena gave an unladylike snort. "I don't want hairs on my chest. And Daddy doesn't have hairs on his chest. Or his head. Does that mean he didn't eat his vegables?"

Clark was snickering at Lena's pronunciation. Still, he grew sombre.

"Your dad doesn't have hair because he had an accident when he was a little older than you."

"Oh." Lena squirmed and wriggled out of his arms, grabbing Lois' hand. "Aunt Lois, come see Minnie. She's really big now."

Lois dutifully petted the kitten which was indeed much bigger than the last time she had seen her. Lena continued to chatter in her ear, clearly happy to have her favourite uncle and aunt home. Clark had gone to the kitchen to talk to Lex.

Minnie yawned delicately and curled up, clearly having had enough attention. Lena looked down at the black ball of fluff, then crawled into Lois' lap, looking up at her with blue eyes that reminded Lois of Crater Lake on a summer's day.

"Aunt Lois?"

"What is it, baby?"

"Are you gonna have a baby when you and Uncle Clark get married?"

"I want to, but not right away."

"You mean because of your job and stuff?" Lena nodded. "Aunt Lois?"

"Mm?"

"When you do have your own baby, does that mean you won't love me anymore?"

Lois held her tight. "Oh baby no. I would never ever stop loving you."

"Sometimes I think if Daddy got married he would forget all about me."

"He would never do that," Lois promised. "Your dad loves you more than anything and so does your uncle Clark."

"And you?"

"And me."

"Do you love me this much?" Lena said, opening her arms out so her hands were the width of her body.

"No," Lois said gently. "I love you this much," she added, taking Lena's hands and stretching her arms wide. Lena's eyes brightened and she smiled.

"I love you Aunt Lois."

Lois hugged the little girl, glancing up to see Clark watching in the doorway with a tender expression. He came in.

"Lena, go wash up for dinner. And your dad said if you eat all your vegetables there'll be one of Aunt Martha's apple pies and ice-cream for dessert."

"Yay, apple pie!" she said, running out.

"You okay?" he asked.

Lois nodded, loving his gentleness as he wrapped his arms around her. She felt him sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder if we were being a little over-protective with Lena."

Lois disagreed. Lena was smart enough to understand that the world wasn't black and white but that didn't mean she was emotionally mature enough for it.

"Clark, I know that when we do have kids, you're going to be an amazing father."

"You really think so?" he said.

"I know so."

Lena decided she wanted to sit in-between her aunt and uncle. Lois grinned as she watched Clark and Lena engage in a game of who could steal the most food off the other's plate. He would take a piece of broccoli from Lena's plate and she would retaliate by taking something from his plate.

Lex was also watching, amusement clear on his face. He glanced up and caught her gaze.

"Kids," he said, shaking his head in exasperation.

Lena did eat all her vegetables and the promised pie and ice-cream was brought out. The housekeeper had stayed long enough to make sure Lex didn't burn the pie, which was being kept warm in the oven, then left for the evening, leaving the family to rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher.

Lois sat at the table as the brothers bantered while they cleaned the kitchen. Lena had perched herself once again on her lap, clearly enjoying the show as Clark began a mock fight with his brother.

"They're silly," Lena said.

"Yeah, they are," Lois answered fondly.

She remembered some of the stories Clark had told her about growing up in the Luthor mansion. Too many times, he had been made to feel like the outsider. By Lionel and even by Lex. Treated like a freak because of his abilities, or exploited and manipulated by his father. Even if he seemed more secure in himself now, it was clear that those were scars that would never truly disappear.

Still, she was glad that he and Lex had become so close. In many ways they were more than brothers, because even siblings could be rivals in a lot of ways. They were the best of friends and it showed.

They sat out on the deck, enjoying the last of the sun's rays. Lena had gone to bed, curling up with her kitten. Lex would never admit it, but he had turned into a softy where his daughter's cat was concerned.

"Lex, we didn't get the chance to tell you. Guess who the wedding planner is?"

Lex rolled his eyes. "Clark, you know I don't like guessing games."

"Kimberley."

He blinked rapidly. "As in my Kimberley?" he asked.

Lois frowned, wondering why he'd used that particular turn of phrase.

"As in your assistant Kimberley. Yeah."

"Wow! I never would have thought she would have gone into the wedding planning business. Then again, she was always great at organising my life. I've never found an assistant to match her since."

"She recognised me. Asked after you and Lena. She's not married, by the way."

Subtle, Lois thought, sending Clark a look. He smirked at her. Worth a shot, his expression suggested.

"So, when are we going to see an interview with Superman?"

"We're working on it," Clark said dryly.

"I heard the Inquisitor's holding a competition. Whoever gets to scoop the Daily Planet on an interview with Superman gets a paid vacation," Lois answered.

"Never happen," Clark assured her.

Still, even though she knew he had only been saying what he'd said for the benefit of those watching after the bomb threat, she wondered if he was stalling on purpose.

"I know that look, Lois," he said, glancing up as Lex went to take a phone call. "I'm not stalling."

"I didn't say you were," she answered in protest.

"But you were thinking it." Lex came back out and sat down.

"That was Mayson," he said. "Lucas woke up earlier today and they were doing some tests to see if there was any brain damage. He's fine, except for the fact that he can't remember a thing."

"As in ... what, exactly?" Clark asked.

"He can't even remember his own name."

Clark frowned. "That's weird. I mean, when Kevin used the power, he usually only wiped a few minutes, or an hour. Not an entire lifetime."

"Yes, but didn't he wipe all your memories?" Lois asked, remembering what he'd told her.

"That was because his power was through meteor rock, and since it's my one vulnerability ..."

"Well, maybe Parasite's increased strength had something to do with it," Lex answered.

"Um, I'm curious about something," Lois said. "When Kevin stole your memory that time did that mean he had them?"

Clark shook his head. "I asked him about it but he said he didn't see anything. I think what happens is it just works as a kind of block, suppressing the memories."

Lex shrugged. "Well, I don't know. Your theory sounds a little flawed, but it sounds like a matter for further study. Anyway, Mayson isn't sure how it's going to affect the case. She's asked the judge for a continuance, at least until they can figure out what to do with him."

"What's going to happen to Parasite?" Lois asked.

"He's been taken to Belle Reve for psychiatric evaluation, but I don't think he's going to get off lightly," Lex sighed. "As much as we understand why he did it, he still can't go around taking the law into his own hands."

Lois thought about that as she lay in bed that night reading through the files. There had already been a few letters to the editor from people who had decided to be devil's advocates where Superman was concerned, saying their major concern was that Superman was still nothing more than a vigilante.

Clark came in, wearing blue cotton pyjama pants, his chest still slightly wet from the shower.

"Still reading?"

"Trying to make sense of the fire investigator's report," she said. "Something doesn't smell right about this whole thing."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just fishing."

He got into bed beside her and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Why don't you put those away and focus on something else?" he said softly.

She squirmed away from him. "Clark, not here," she hissed. "Lena's just down the hall."

"So, we'll just have to be quiet," he answered, grinning.

She glowered at him. "Clark, it was your idea for us to stay here tonight. Don't tell me you brought some of your floozies over here because I know you would never expose Lena to that kind of ..."

"Floozies?" he chuckled, then took her hand and began kissing up her arm. "Lois, we're getting married. Lena knows that. She was there when we got engaged, remember?"

"I know that, but ..."

"She's not a baby. She knows enough about sex to know that it's something married people, or almost married people do."

He was kissing her neck in the way that always drove her crazy. She knew she would give in to him. Her body was already responding to him despite her worry that they might wake Lena.

Her papers fell on the floor as she sank down in the bed.

"You are a very bad man, Clark Luthor."

"But you love me anyway," he said, kissing her deeply. Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.


	66. Article

Clark lay on his side, watching Lois sleep. She'd pulled on her nightgown some time during the night, obviously out of a sense of modesty. He was so tempted to slip his hand under the plain green satin and give her an early morning wake-up call, but Lois wasn't a morning person and he doubted she would thank him. Still, it was very tempting.

She looked adorable with her long hair spread out in messy curls all over the white pillow. He'd always read that people tended to look younger in sleep. Personally, Clark couldn't see much difference between awake Lois and asleep Lois, but she did look so cute with the little creases in her cheek from the way her head had laid on the pillow.

Face it, Luthor, you think anything about her is cute. He sighed softly. Lex would call him a sap and he was probably right. Somehow, though, Clark just couldn't seem to find it in him to care much about that.

Just as he decided to give in to the temptation, the door opened quietly and Lena crept in, clearly thinking they were still asleep. Clark looked up and she saw him, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her.

"Quietly," he whispered. "Lois is still asleep."

Lena nodded and continued on into the room, getting up on the bed. Before Lois, when he'd spent the night at the house, Lena would often come in for a morning cuddle. She'd been starting to grow out of that habit, but recently had started it again. Clark sat up and lifted his niece, wrapping his arms around her, making sure his bottom half was well-covered. He'd been concerned about the things she'd said to Lois the night before. It was natural, he supposed, for her to worry about such matters, but it was clear she needed reassurance that he would love her no matter what.

"What's wrong, baby?" he said quietly.

"Nothin'. I just wanted a hug."

"I tell you what," he continued softly. "How about when Lois gets up, we take you and your dad out to breakfast and then we can go shopping or to the zoo, or do anything you want. How about that?"

"Really?" she said.

"Really."

She hugged him tight. "I love you Uncle Clark."

"I love you too, sweetheart." He glanced down and saw Lois smiling. She was pretending she was still asleep but the big grin on her face gave her away. Clark whispered in Lena's ear, telling her Lois was faking sleep. Lena grinned back at him and wriggled free, laying down beside Lois and planting a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Lois grumbled. "Who's that sneaking into my bed?" she mock-growled.

Lena giggled and let Lois put her arms around her. The giggles grew as Lois tickled her and Lena tried to tickle her back.

"You're a brat," Lois said, laughing, her eyes twinkling as she teased the little redhead.

"I'm not a brat," Lena answered, still giggling as Lois managed to get her in a very ticklish spot.

"Yes you are."

"Am not."

"Are too times ten."

"Am not times a million billion trillion," Lena returned, trying to go for Lois' ribs. Clark knew just how ticklish his fiancée was in that area.

"Oh, playing dirty huh?"

He watched as the two girls continued to tease each other. Lois pressed her mouth to Lena's neck and blew a raspberry which set his niece off into another fit of giggles.

"All right," Clark said, pulling Lena off. "Who's hungry?"

"Ooh, me, me, me!" Lena squealed excitedly.

"Then go get dressed squirt," he said, patting her backside. "Then go get your dad up and tell him we're going out for breakfast."

"Yay!" she said, jumping off the bed and running out.

Lois crinkled her nose at him.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"Yep! I thought it was cute."

She sat up and straddled his waist.

"Cute huh? I'll give you cute!"

He pulled her closer and kissed her, loving the soft moans she gave. They had barely begun to get into it when the door was flung open.

"Uncle Clark, come on. You promised."

Lois snickered as he sighed. "Ok, ok, we're up," he answered, pushing Lois gently aside. "Go get dressed," he ordered, seeing Lena was still dressed in her pyjamas. The last thing he wanted to do was let her see him fully naked.

They quickly showered and dressed. Lena was running around, full of energy. Clark could hear Lex telling her to keep it down, but he didn't mind. As they made their way out to the garage, he lifted her up for a piggy-back before Lex took her and put her in the booster seat.

Lena kept up a steady stream of chatter as Lex drove to their favourite diner. Clark was happy to see when they entered that the Kents were also there. They had clearly not eaten yet.

"Uncle Jonathan, Aunt Martha," Lena squealed, running to them, just narrowly missing a waitress who had been taking food out to another table.

"Lena, watch it," her father said. "You almost made the lady drop some plates."

Lena ignored him, too intent on hugging the older couple.

"Lena," he said sternly. "Apologise to the lady."

"It's all right, sir," the waitress said, who appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen, as she served the breakfast, but Lex shook his head.

"My daughter knows better than to run amok. Helena, tell the lady you're sorry or you won't get any blueberry pancakes."

Lena bit her lip, but nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "I won't do it again."

"That's quite all right," the waitress said. "Would you and your family like a table?"

"Yes please."

Clark could see Jonathan and Martha hiding their amusement behind napkins. Clark would have suggested sitting with them but they were only at a small table and there wouldn't have been enough room for the four of them, so he asked for the one behind the couple.

Lena kept up a chatter all through breakfast, eating her blueberry pancakes even though she told him they were not nearly as good as his. Lois ate her cheese omelette quite happily, occasionally joining in Lena's chatter, while Lex just ate silently.

Clark frowned at his brother.

"You're awfully quiet," he said. "You okay?"

"Fine. Why?"

"You're normally more talkative than this."

"I promise, nothing's bothering me. There's nothing happening at work or the paper that you should be concerned about. I just want to eat my breakfast."

"Gee, sorry if I touched a nerve."

Lex looked at him, then offered a small smile.

"So, uh, Kimberley asked after me, huh?" he said.

"Yes." He knew what Lois had been thinking the night before. So what if he was trying a little match-making. Her little match-making attempt with Mayson hadn't worked out, but he'd liked Kimberley. She was not only very efficient when she'd worked for Lex, but she was warm and friendly and incredibly smart. Almost as smart as Lex, which was saying something.

There was a crash and they all looked around to see the waitress who had sat them had dropped some plates. Two young children, aged no more than four years old had clearly got under her feet, tripping her up. The waitress looked very upset. A woman, who seemed to be the mother of the two children, began berating the waitress for her clumsiness.

Lex watched this for a moment, then threw down his napkin.

"Lex, don't."

Lex looked at him. "Remember what Mom used to say? Just because we're paying customers, there's no excuse for bad behaviour."

"Yes, but ..."

Clark sighed, remembering the incident in London when Lex had chewed out chef Gordon Ramsay because he'd been obnoxious and rude in a restaurant they were dining in. It looked like he was about to chew the mother out as well.

"Excuse me," Lex was saying. "Are these your children?"

"Yes!"

"Then I suggest you learn how to control them. I saw what happened."

"Yes, this waitress," she said snootily, "wasn't watching where she was going."

"That's not what happened!" the girl began to protest but the woman shot her a look.

"I'd like to see your manager!" she said. "You just dropped my breakfast. On purpose."

"No, she didn't," Lex returned. "She dropped the plates because your children tripped her up. I suggest you get yourself some lessons in parenting, lady."

"I don't see you controlling your child," the woman sniffed. The two boys were still running around and Clark noticed she did nothing to make them behave.

"That's because my daughter has been taught to mind her manners," Lex retorted. "Clearly you should have been sterilised if this is the result." He glared at the boys. "You two stop that and sit down. Right now!" The boys stared at him wide-eyed, but did as they were told.

Even Lena looked taken aback at her father's tone. She knew when he spoke that way to her she was in big trouble.

"Is there a problem here?" The manager, a young man no older than Clark's age, with a bad case of acne, came out, glaring at the young waitress. "I hope Gail here isn't ..."

"Gail has done nothing wrong," Lex told him. "It's this woman's obnoxious brats who have caused the problem."

"How dare you?" the woman spluttered.

"How dare I?" he asked her.

"Do you know who I am?" she hissed.

"No, and I don't care to know, since you clearly have no idea who I am."

"Lex, you're making a scene," Clark hissed.

"Good," his brother returned, turning back to the manager. "We happen to be regular customers here and your serving staff have been nothing but complete professionals to us. This lady clearly has no idea how to be professional and frankly if I was her employer, which I hope for her sake I'm not, I would have her fired."

Clark closed his eyes. The manager was eyeing Lex as if terrified.

"Mr Luthor, I apologise if ..."

"It is not me who deserves the apology," Lex told him, calming down. "It's this young lady."

Gail sent him a brilliant smile in gratitude. The woman, who had realised exactly who she was arguing with, muttered an insincere apology. The two little boys had begun to cry as the woman dragged them out. Lex growled.

"Some people just shouldn't be parents," he said.

Meanwhile the diners, who had at first been stunned at the scene, had broken out into applause. The manager bit his lip.

"Uh, your breakfast will be on the house, Mr Luthor."

"Nonsense," Lex answered. "Gail's service has been nothing but exemplary. It was not her fault. As for the woman, who I suspect has left without paying, put her bill on my tab and I'll take care of it."

Gail again smiled. Lex smiled back at her.

"Are you in college Gail?"

She shook her head. "No, sir, my parents couldn't afford the tuition."

He pulled out a business card.

"Make an appointment to see my HR department. We have a number of scholarships and grants and I'm sure we can find you a better paying job which will also give you time to attend classes at college."

"Oh, thank you, Mr Luthor. Thank you very much."

Clark sighed as Lex sat down again and finished his breakfast. Lena looked at him.

"Daddy, why did you tell off that lady?"

"Because she was being mean to the waitress sweetheart. It was an accident and she didn't deserve to be spoken to like that."

Martha turned around and smiled at Lex.

"I think you did a wonderful thing for Gail. You're right. Every time we come in here she's always been absolutely lovely."

"Was I ever as bad as those boys Daddy?"

"No, sweetheart, you were the epitome of angelic."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you were very good and you minded your manners. You know, your grandmother taught me something I'll always remember. To treat others how you would expect to be treated."

"My mom taught me that too," Lois said. "And I completely agree with you, Lex. Some people should not be parents."

Amen, Clark thought, quietly agreeing. Still, he wished Lex would have handled it a little more quietly, but the mother had deserved the lecture, especially when her boys' behaviour had caused the accident. Sure, Lena had had her moments, especially lately, but as far as he knew she had never behaved like a spoilt brat. He only hoped he would be half as good a parent as Lex was one day.

After they left the diner, Lex explained regretfully that he had to go to work for a few hours. Lena hugged her father, promising to be good for her aunt and uncle. She had decided she wanted to visit the zoo again to see how the lion cubs were doing.

By the time they returned to the house late that afternoon, having spent a few hours at the zoo, then taken Lena to a movie, Lex was home. Lena chattered to her father as she helped him set the table for dinner.

"The cubs are so big Daddy. They're going to be really huge. And the keeper said he got this big cut on his lip 'cause the cubs got a little boy ... boy ... I don't know what the word is," she said, glancing at Clark.

"Boisterous, honey," he said, ruffling her hair.

He went back out to the deck, wrapping his arms around his fiancee's waist.

"Hi," he said into the back of her neck.

"Hi," she returned, leaning into him. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. What's Lena up to?"

"Telling Lex all about her day."

"She looks happier than I've seen her since ... well, since I've known her."

"Yeah. I think she's liked hanging out with us for the day."

Lois turned in his arms, giving him a kiss.

"I hope when we have kids they'll be just as wonderful as Lena."

"Me too."

"It must be hard for her, sometimes, being an only child with a single parent. I mean, at least I had Lucy, and you had Lex."

"True. I mean, sure, Lex works hard, but he always tries to make it up to her somehow."

"Yeah, but when her dad's not around, Lena doesn't really have anyone close to her age to talk to. She has us, but sometimes I think she needs more than that, you know?"

Clark understood. Lena had spent half the summer already practically in isolation because Lex had been trying to protect her. She had school friends, of course, but Lex hadn't allowed them to come over and play, not knowing how Lena would behave.

"I'm sure Lex has talked to the psychologist about it," he told her.

She nodded. "You know I was really shocked when Lex did what he did in the diner."

"Remember what I told you about that chef?"

"Oh, yeah. So you're saying he does that a lot?"

"I guess Lex picked that up from Mom. She always believed in standing up for the little guy."

He had never understood that for a while, until that awful day when he'd witnessed his mother being hurt by his father. He realised that some people who were treated that way tended to get upset or angry when they witnessed something similar happening to other people.

For a while, especially after their mother had died, it appeared that Lex was forgetting the simple lessons Lillian had taught him. He'd begun listening more and more to Lionel's lessons and Clark had wondered if his brother was becoming just as ruthless and arrogant as Lionel. It was only when he'd discovered he was a father and had taken up the post in Europe that he had made the decision to change. That was probably when he'd begun doing the same thing his mother had done. Clark supposed Lex had wanted to bring his daughter up better than Lionel had raised him.

After dinner, Lena went to curl up on the couch and watch a DVD while they sat out again on the deck. Lois wanted to work on the Superman interview.

"So," she said, chewing on the end of her pencil. "I guess we can start with the basics. You know, description. That sort of thing. I mean, people are going to want to know, once they find out you're an al ... uh, intergalactic traveller," she amended with a grin, "whether you look completely human. And, uh, whether all the parts are in, um, working order."

Clark frowned at her, knowing exactly what she meant.

"People aren't going to want to know my size," he said.

"Why not?" she said, a blush forming on her cheeks. "I did. When you were the Blur and I didn't know you then."

Clark didn't usually get embarrassed but the thought that people would be reading the article and wondering what it would be like to have sex with him was too much. Okay, so he'd been a bit of a womaniser before he'd met Lois, but even he had his limits.

"Ugh, that would be way too much information," Lex said, rolling his eyes.

Lois grinned at him. "Have you actually seen Clark in the uniform? Trust me, the women, and even the gay guys, come to think of it, think he's sex on legs. You should have heard that lady I talked to about the refinery explosion. Let's just say that what she really said was unprintable so I had to censor it."

"Ahh, but I'm a one-woman man now," Clark told her.

"They don't know that." She turned back to her notepad. "So, um, let's see, should we say anything about Krypton? How do you spell that anyway? Is it C-r-y ..."

"No, it's with a 'K'," he said. "K-r-y-p-t-o-n."

"Like the element?" she answered with a frown.

"I assume so."

"Okay. What about your real name?"

He spelled that out for her as well as she proceeded to give him the wrong spelling for that too. She asked him a few more questions, which she already knew the answers to, but he guessed she wanted to make it sound like an interview, rather than her just telling the story.

"So, you were the Blur. Why choose to come out of the shadows now?" she asked.

"Because as much as the Blur helped people, I feel they need to believe in something tangible, rather than just a shadow, or a blur."

"Ooh, good answer. Okay, last question. Why are you here?"

"To help."

She looked at him, rolling her eyes. "Clark, you can't just say you're here to help and expect it to mean something. I mean, help do what? Bake cookies? You know, why not just say, 'I have not yet begun to fight' or something."

"Or say I'm here to fight for 'truth' and 'justice'," Lex offered.

"How about that?" he asked her. "Truth and justice sounds like something Superman would say."

"Uh, honey, you're talking about yourself in the third person again."

"Force of habit," he grinned back at her.

She sighed and shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

He didn't answer. She went back to her notes and tapped her pencil on the paper.

"Okay, so what do we call this baby? We need an attention-grabbing headline." She pondered the question for a few more minutes. "I know," she said, scribbling on the pad. "What about this?"

She held up the notepad and turned it around so Clark and his brother could see it. Lex choked on the mouthful of scotch he'd just taken.

_**I Spent The Night With Superman by Lois Lane**_

"Over my dead body," Lex said.

"Why not? It'll get people talking."

"Yes, but then people are going to assume you literally spent the night with Superman. They know from your stories you've had if not an intimate relationship with the Blur, then at least a personal one. They also know you and Clark are engaged. How long do you think it would take them to put two and two together and come up with four?"

Lois bit her lip, clearly realising Lex had a point.

"Okay, then what about this," she said, scribbling once again and showing it to them.

**_It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's ... Superman._**

It was Clark's turn to groan. "No," he said firmly.

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's ridiculous," Clark told her.

"Fine. You know what? You come up with the brilliant ideas. I'm going to bed."

Clark frowned at her. "It's not even nine-thirty!" he protested.

Lois ignored him and went into the house. Lex looked at him, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'what was that all about?'. Clark sighed and went to follow Lois into the house.

She was in the bedroom, getting ready for bed, her briefcase open and the papers she'd been reading the night before on the night stand.

"Lois ..."

"I get it, Clark. You don't want to do the story. That's fine! We'll just let the Inquisitor scoop the Planet and they'll publish a story that's full of conjecture."

"I never said I didn't want to do the story. I sat there and answered your questions didn't I? For a whole hour!

"I know how important this is for the Planet. Not to mention Superman. I don't want to give people the wrong impression. Okay, so I didn't like your headline. You don't have to bite my head off over it."

He watched as she got into bed, then sat beside her.

"Honey, you just have to understand. I've spent my entire life hiding who I am because I've been afraid of people judging me. I worry sometimes that if we reveal the fact I'm not from this planet that the government will still want to study me. The truth is, no matter what I do, there are always going to be some people who will buy into the theory that I'm possibly the advance scout for an invasion or something."

"Well, they'd be nuts to think that. Krypton's gone, Clark. This is your home."

"I know. And I will do everything in my power to help the people of Earth to take care of it. The last thing I want is to see this planet follow the same path of destruction Krypton did." He thought for a second. "You can quote that in your article."

"Okay, what about this for a headline," she said quickly scribbling on her notepad.

**_Refugee From Doomed Planet – Earth is my home now, says Superman_**

Clark nodded. He was sure Perry would get a final say on the headline, but it sounded much better than the two others she'd come up with.

She looked at him.

"Did we just have our first sort-of fight?"

He bit his lip. "I guess we did."

She grinned and ran a finger down his muscular arm.

"I know how you can make it up to me," she said slyly.

Clark grinned back and quickly stripped off, making sure the door was closed, then joined her in the bed. Lois giggled as she wrapped her arms around him, her giggles quickly turning into moans.

He was sorry he had to shush her, but even as they tried to keep it quiet he decided the little argument was so worth the making up.


	67. Kerth

Nine Months Later

Lois walked into the bedroom, opening the closet door to peruse the contents, then sighed.

"I don't know what to wear," she said.

Clark stood before the mirror above the dresser, buttoning up his white silk shirt.

"Why don't you wear that dress you bought at Saks last month? The black one?" he suggested.

She wrinkled her nose. "That's for afternoon cocktail hour. And I wore it to the Press Club the other night when we had that function."

"Okay, then go in your underwear."

"Very funny, Luthor."

"All right. I think I might have something. I got it for your birthday, but this is just as good an occasion as any." He walked over to the closet and went in, emerging a few seconds later with a box.

"Clark," she said, seeing the label on the box. It was from an exclusive fashion boutique in the middle of Metropolis. Lois didn't usually shop there as it was expensive. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

"I know, darling, but I saw the dress in the window and I could just imagine it on you."

She opened the box and unfolded the dress. It was beautiful, in a silver-coloured silky fabric with a tight bodice designed to show off her cleavage tastefully. It reminded her a little of the gowns the women always wore in classic movies from the forties.

"Oh, honey, it's beautiful."

She kissed him, careful not to smudge her make-up. Clark smiled softly, going back to check his reflection in the mirror as he finished buttoning his shirt and picked up the tie from the dresser.

She watched him struggle with the bow-tie for a moment, scowling at himself.

"This is why I hate wearing monkey suits," he grimaced, trying once again to tie the bow.

"Oh, but you look so handsome in them, darling," she said, putting the dress carefully down on the bed and going to help him with the tie. "Here, let me do this," she said.

"I don't even know why we're going to this thing," he complained.

"Don't complain," she said. "Lex gave us strict orders."

"You know, Lex has got really bossy lately."

"You mean, more than normal?" she said with a grin, tying the bow and straightening it. "There. That's better."

He immediately put up a hand to adjust it and she smacked his hand.

"Don't mess with it. It looks fine." She turned to pick up her dress. "Anyway, I think the fact Lex has got bossier than normal lately might have something to do with a certain female in his life."

Clark grinned. "Yeah, she is bossy, isn't she?"

"Aww, he loves her."

It hadn't been a surprise to either of them when Lex and Kimberley had finally met again and had begun dating. Kimberley had insisted on them taking it slowly, since Lena had still been seeing the psychologist. What was a surprise was the way Lena and Kimberley took to each other.

Lois supposed it had helped that Lena had remembered Kimberley from Lex's European office, and one of the few occasions when Kimberley had babysat her. It was fairly clear that Kimberley was born to be a mother as she seemed to adore Lena and it had been mutual.

Lex and Kimberley had been dating for about six months before he stayed at her place. She had insisted on that as well, since Lena probably wouldn't have been all that happy if she had stayed over at Lex's house. Lena could still get possessive when she wanted to, even though the couple made an effort to include her in their dates whenever possible.

Clark's phone began to vibrate and he picked it up, walking out of the room.

"Yeah, Lex. Yes, we're almost ready. Look, don't worry, Ollie said he'd patrol tonight. Yeah, the guys too. I know, I know, you said that already. Will you stop being so bossy?"

Lois grinned as she took off her robe and changed into the gown. She took the pins out of her hair and let it fall in lustrous waves down her back. She had had thoughts of pinning it up, but it just seemed to look better loose.

She put on her lipstick and made sure she had everything she needed before she joined Clark in the living room. His eyes widened as he stared at her.

"Lo, you look ... incredible," he said.

"Keep that up and you might just get lucky, sailor," she said with a wink.

"Oh I think I've already been that," he said. "Just how did I get so lucky to have you fall in love with me?"

"The feeling's mutual, my darling."

She could tell he wanted to kiss her, but put a finger on his lips.

"Let's get this shindig over with first. Then you can mess up my make-up."

Clark growled in what sounded like frustration. She grinned at him.

"Come on, let's go before your brother blows a fuse."

Clark had given in to his brother's demands and bought a new car. Unlike the Bronco, it was a Falcon G6. Lex had taken one look at the car and rolled his eyes. He was something of a snob when it came to his vehicles. They had to be luxury cars and they had to be non-American. While Clark knew the Bronco hadn't exactly been a family-oriented car, he had liked driving it as it gave him a lot of leg room. When he'd chosen the new car, he had deliberately gone for a sedan which would also give him more leg room.

The valet who gave him his ticket agreed with him.

"Nice wheels," he said. "G6 right?"

"Yeah."

"Man, I say if you're gonna buy American, you can't go wrong with the Falcon." The two men began talking American cars versus European.

"That's what I always try to tell my brother."

"Let me guess, bald guy in the Beemer."

"Yup."

The valet sighed. "Figures. He looks the type."

"What type is that?" Lois asked, grinning as she stood on the sidewalk watching the exchange, chuckling at her fiance. Clark might have mellowed in the past few months, but he still liked to show off occasionally.

A car behind them tooted and the valet grinned.

"Enjoy your evening Mr Luthor, Ms Lane."

Lois put her hand on Clark's arm as they walked in to the hotel together. A man wearing a white tuxedo jacket greeted them.

"Mr Luthor, Ms Lane, welcome. If you would care to follow me."

"Thank you," Lois smiled as the man stepped away from the desk to lead them up the richly carpeted stairs to the Metropolis Hotel ballroom. There was another, smaller room where the guests could greet others invited to the event.

Clark looked surprised to see Bruce there.

"Bruce? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm here as Chloe's plus one," the Gotham billionaire smiled.

The couple had officially 'come out' to the Gotham public about four months after Clark and Lois had become engaged. While Bruce had initially objected to the move, thinking that Chloe's personal life would become public property and she would never be safe, Chloe had disagreed. She was still working as a reporter, although she was no longer working the crime beat, at her own behest, nor was she working the business beat, not wanting to be accused of any kind of bias.

"Lois," Chloe cried, sounding delighted. She hugged her cousin.

Lois looked at the blonde. Chloe seemed to be glowing.

"Guess what?" Chloe said, waving her hand. Lois caught the flash in the lights above.

"Oh my god! Chloe!"

"I know. Isn't it great?"

Clark grinned at his friend. They had spent a little time together working on various projects, as their alter egos, and had developed new respect for each other.

"Welcome to the club," he said.

"Thanks. I think."

"Lois, your gown is just gorgeous!"

"I know. Clark got it for my birthday but he decided to give it to me early."

"You do indeed look lovely," Bruce commented, "but I still prefer my lady in red," he added, smiling fondly down at his fiancee, who happened to be wearing a long shimmering gown in red.

"I think that's called personal bias, my friend," Lex replied, coming up behind them. "Ladies, you both look wonderful."

"Are you kidding?" Kimberley said beside him. "They look gorgeous!"

Lex grinned at his girlfriend but said nothing.

"Where's Lena tonight?" Bruce asked.

"Staying with Martha and Jonathan. Or should I say, being spoiled by Martha and Jonathan."

Clark gestured to a passing waiter and picked up glasses of champagne from tray, handing one to each woman before passing one each to Lex and Bruce and taking one for himself.

"Well," Kimberley was saying, "why shouldn't she be spoiled? They adore her and the feeling I think is rather mutual."

Lena had once told Lois that if she had had grandparents, she would have loved to have the Kents as her grandparents. It wasn't just that they spoiled her, although they did give her limits, it was the fact that they had practically adopted her from the moment they'd met. Lena had certainly come out of her shell thanks to the older couple.

She had met her maternal grandfather a few months before, but Stanley Bryce hadn't exactly been welcoming. Lois had disliked the plastic surgeon on sight and decided that Lena was better off without him.

The three couples chatted until Lex decided it was more prudent to mingle. He walked off with Kimberley to talk to someone Lois believed was a Congressman. Or someone with some importance in government circles.

Clark gently propelled her away from her cousin to talk to a journalist who had once worked for the Inquisitor but had quit after raising some questions about their ethics. He now taught journalism at Met U.

As they were chatting, Lois caught a glimpse of the sleazy photographer who they'd managed to get fired from the Inquisitor.

"Isn't that Rand?" she asked, nudging Clark.

Edwards, the former journalist, scowled.

"That asshole," he said. "He's one of the main reasons I quit the paper. He's been working freelance as a paparazzi, for those who are fool enough to buy his pics. I'd be careful if I were you. He's had it in for the two of you since your brother got him fired."

"Well, I don't care," Clark declared. "It's not like he can do anything to us."

"Don't be so sure. He'll get you from any angle and make it look like you're up to something nefarious. Rand can be a vindictive bastard."

Lois felt rather than saw Clark leave her side. He was back before Edwards could notice anything amiss. Rand, however, began cursing as his camera fell apart. She couldn't help snickering, knowing Clark had done something to the photographer's equipment.

After an hour of mingling, they were called in to dinner. Clark helped her into her chair, then sat down next to her. Perry sat across from them, while Lex and Kimberley sat beside them, along with a couple of others from the Daily Planet and their dates. Perry was the only one who had come solo.

Dinner was a three-course meal of Scallops Mornay for the entree, Sesame Lemon Chicken with salad and steamed vegetables, and Tiramisu for dessert. The portions didn't look enough for Clark, but Lois was pleasantly full after finishing hers.

The guests had all chatted through dinner but the chatter faded as the master of ceremonies stood at the podium.

"Now we come to the business portion of the evening," he said. "Before we get to the main event, I'd just like to talk about the past year in the business of publishing. Now, there has been some talk about newspapers and magazines losing advertisers to online publishing, but I happen to believe it has only made them stronger.

"Let's take, for example, the Daily Planet, which has a stronger than ever readership thanks to not only Metropolis' newest superhero, but to its publisher Lex Luthor. He saw an opportunity to make the Planet great again and he pulled no punches.

"Of course, Superman is not the only superhero making headlines and increasing readership. We also have Batman, who has helped give the Gotham Tribune its highest readership in its 150 year history.

"Newspapers are not dead. They are continuing to grow and diversify, to meet the demands not only of its readers, but of the changing face of technology.

"Let's not forget you, the hard-working journalists who make all this possible. So, without further ado, let's move on to the reason you're all so patiently waiting to hear."

There were slight titters at the sarcasm in his tone.

"I'm sure many of you have already heard this, but for the benefit of the newcomers, I would like to impart a little of the history of the Kerth Awards in journalism. Some seventy years ago, William Kerth was a small-town reporter who wanted to work in the big leagues. So he became a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, reporting from the trenches in WW Two. His stories and photographs made front-page news, telling harrowing tales of those brave men fighting for their countries.

"For five years, Kerth sent story after story of news from the frontlines, using words as his only weapon. Until his luck ran out. He was shot and killed by an enemy soldier the very day Germany was liberated. His last story became an obituary.

"In honour of William Kerth's bravery and dedication, the New York Times banded together with all the national newspapers to create an award to recognise not only dedication but excellence in journalism.

"There have been many recipients deserving of these awards over the past sixty-odd years. Some of you may have even been multiple recipients. And there will be some of you joining that elite group here tonight."

There was a long pause. Lois knew the speech practically by heart, having been to a couple of ceremonies. The Kerth Awards were like the Golden Globes of journalism, with only the Pulitzer the next step above and the awards event was always formal and steeped in tradition. Judging from the men all dressed in tuxedos and the women in formal gowns, they clearly took it very seriously.

The names of the finalists in each category began to be read. Lois held her breath as they began reading out the names of the finalists in the Investigative Journalism category. Her head buzzed and she missed the first two names, clearing long enough to hear:

"Lois Lane, Clark Luthor, Daily Planet."

She clutched Clark's hand as further names were read out, then the master of ceremonies launched into another speech.

"This year has seen some excellent pieces in the area of investigative journalism but these were the stand-outs. The articles exposed corruption not only in local government but uncovered a conspiracy dating back to the Vietnam War. This couple worked diligently to uncover the truth, even at the risk of their own lives. Their series of articles on Superman have seen to it that the Daily Planet has experienced a surge in readership and circulation. Not only was this a new partnership, but this couple are also engaged to be married.

"Lois Lane was the recipient of a Kerth Award two years ago and is, from what I have heard in some circles, a force to be reckoned with.

"Clark Luthor turned a career as a cable television show host into an entertaining column before showing his mettle as a respected writer and writing partner. Mr Luthor, Ms Lane?"

Lois got up, taking Clark's hand as they walked up to the stage to receive their awards. She hadn't been nervous when she had received the Kerth Award the first time, but she was nervous now. Clark just leaned forward and said: 'thanks.' She nudged him and shook her head to light chuckles from those seated below.

"Ask anyone about journalism and you'll probably get a huge variety of answers, from the 'if it bleeds it leads' camp to those who think journalism is nothing but cheap entertainment. Novelist and attorney Andrew Vachss once said that 'journalism is what maintains democracy. It's the force for progressive social change'. When we set out to expose corruption within our city, Clark and I had no idea how much it would snowball, but that's the thing about doing the job we do. Sometimes it gets tough. We often follow leads that turn out to be nothing but wild-goose chases but we keep going. We keep chipping away at the surface until it reveals what's hidden beneath because otherwise there's no point. Maybe we're not inventing cures for cancer or anything world-shattering, but in our own way, by exposing the things we do, I like to think we are, as Superman once said, fighting for 'truth and justice' and democracy." She held up the plaque. "This may look like a piece of glass but it's a symbol, that we're doing our job and doing it right. Thank you."

Lex smiled as they sat down at the table.

"That was very eloquent, Lois," he said.

"I couldn't agree more," Clark replied, looking at her with love in his eyes.

There were more awards to give out and Chloe won for her category – a piece on the homeless in Gotham. Lois did her best to clap the loudest for her cousin, so happy that they now both had awards.

The tables were eventually cleared and Perry made sure their awards were safely put aside as couples moved onto the main floor to dance. Bruce approached them and asked Lois to dance.

"You don't mind do you, Clark?"

"Not at all," he said. "As long as I get to dance with your beautiful fiancée."

Chloe blushed and giggled. Lois watched them with a fond smile. Chloe and Clark might not have got along in the beginning, especially after what Clark had done to her in the past, but they had clearly put all that behind them to become good friends.

"Congratulations, Lois. You spoke very well."

"Thank you, Bruce," she said, letting him whirl her around the ballroom floor. He was a good dancer. "And thank you, too, for your help with the articles. We couldn't have done it without your input."

"You and Clark make a great team," he answered, without any response to her comment.

She glanced at her fiancé, watching him smiling and laughing as he danced with Chloe. For someone who had been reluctant to come to the awards dinner he seemed to be enjoying himself now.

"We are a great team," she agreed.

When she had learned that they were finalists in the award for Investigative Journalism, Clark had been a little less enthused than she was. Lois could understand that. He'd grown up under the spotlight as Lionel Luthor's son and now he was under a different kind of spotlight as Superman so it was no surprise that he wanted to blend in to the background as the reporter. Lex, however, had told his brother in no uncertain terms that he had to go as even the fact they had been chosen as finalists would raise the profile of the Daily Planet. It had been a hard year for all of them, but not only was the Daily Planet considered the best newspaper in the city, or even the state, Lex had also managed to turn public opinion around about Luthorcorp. His father's company was now known not for its dubious ethics but for its honest and hard-working CEO.

Perry tapped Bruce on the shoulder and Lois grinned at her editor-in-chief. Perry White might be gruff, but he had also become a good friend.

"Congratulations honey," he said.

"Thanks chief."

Perry didn't call her on the 'chief' remark. He pretended to hate it, but Lois knew he secretly loved it. She saw Kimberley dancing with Clark, while Lex was dancing with an older woman who seemed to be talking his ear off. He had that long-suffering look he usually got when he was being subjected to a mild form of torture.

"I think I better go and rescue Lex," she whispered to Perry, who chuckled.

"I'll help you," he said. "Don't worry, she's an old friend of mine. She's harmless. Mostly."

Lois sent her boss a look, but went to Lex's side.

"You looked like you needed rescuing," she said as Lex took her hand.

"How did you guess?" he laughed. He glanced at Clark, who was chatting quite happily with his girlfriend. "I think he's glad he came."

"Well, good for you for making him come. We both know how he hates these things."

Lex nodded. "I think part of it was the fact that he never liked being different."

That was something Lois knew only too well. It wasn't just the fact that he had been manipulated by his father from a very young age. Lionel had tried to exploit him and that had caused the real Clark to retreat further behind a wall of arrogance. He had often told her over the past few months that she had been instrumental in him not only accepting himself for what he was, but giving him a chance at a normal life. He could be himself around her.

She cradled their awards in her hands as Clark drove home.

"You're very quiet," she said, glancing over at him.

"Just thinking. It was a nice night. I mean, it's not that I do it for awards, but it is nice to know that what we do does make a difference, in a small way."

"That's kind of what I was trying to say up on that stage," she said.

"I think you couldn't have put it better if you tried," he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand gently. She smiled back at him.

"I love you," she answered softly.

"I love you too."

She stared dreamily out the window at the lights. It was after one in the morning, but she wasn't tired. Still buzzed, she supposed, from their win. She wanted to do something special to celebrate, then remembered a little package she had got from Victoria's Secret when she had gone shopping earlier in the week.

She recalled another package she had got from the store a few months ago. It had been a chiffon teddy in almost a fire-engine red. The plunging neckline had lace edging and ruffled borders. She hadn't had the chance to wear it until a few days after the article on Superman had run.

Lois had emerged from the bathroom and stood in the doorway, looking at her fiancé, who was sitting up in bed reading a crime novel. He sensed her standing there and turned his head to look, his eyes almost bugging out of his head.

"Uh ... uh, wow!"

Needless to say the sex that night was very passionate and very energetic. She could barely walk the next morning but it had been totally worth it.

Clark decided to quickly check their emails when they got in the door. Lois grinned at him.

"In that case, I'm going to take a shower," she said.

She went into the bedroom and took the bag from its hiding place in the back of the closet before going to the bathroom and stripping off, hanging up the beautiful gown while she waited for the water to heat up. She removed her make-up and stepped under the water.

Lois got out a few minutes later and dried herself off, taking the teddy and holding it up against her, smiling dreamily at her reflection. This one was in white, lace scraps barely covering her breasts held up by halter straps which did up in a bow at the back of her neck. The sides were cut out, leaving only a thin band of satin in the centre leading down to the lace thong.

Seeing Clark had not come to bed yet, she went out to the living room. He was still checking the laptop. He had taken off his tuxedo jacket, tossing it carelessly over the back of the couch, his bow tie undone and the top buttons of his shirt open.

"There's an email from Maddie," he said absently, "congratulating us on the awards. She says she checked the ..." He looked up at her. "Uh ..."

Lois put her hand on the lid of the laptop and closed it gently, then straddled his lap.

"I'm sure Maddie will forgive us if we don't answer her tonight," she told him, adding a seductive lilt to her voice. He looked over the teddy.

"That's, uh, very sexy," he said, his hands at her waist, fingers gliding gently up and down her smooth skin.

She didn't answer, pressing her mouth to his clavicle and licking along the edge of his shoulder bone. Clark moaned softly.

"You drive me crazy," he told her.

"I think that's my line," she answered, rocking her hips to feel his erection beneath her. He groaned.

"Oh god!"

"No, just me," she said, finding it was her turn to moan as Clark slipped his fingers beneath the lace scraps to trace her nipple. She leaned back as his head dipped to mouth the curve of her breast before closing around her nipple. Lois clutched at his shoulders, her head swimming with arousal as he focused his attentions on her breasts.

Clark groaned again as she rocked her pelvis, her sex aching with need for him. His hand slipped beneath the curve of her ass to slip underneath the back of her thong. Lois whimpered as his finger lightly brushed her, then delved between her wet folds. She clutched tighter, moaning his name.

He shifted, lifting her in his arms and quickly sweeping the laptop aside, placing her on the coffee table and gently manoeuvring her on her back. His big hand slowly stroked its way down her body, its warmth almost scorching her through the thin fabric. He knelt down, his green gaze intense as it raked over her body.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself.

She looked up at him, wondering what he was planning, then lay still as he slipped his finger once again beneath the thong, pulling it aside, then lifted her legs so her knees were crooked over his shoulders. She cried out as he bent his head and licked her, using his thumb to apply pressure. She struggled not to wriggle as his tongue thrust inside her, his mouth creating just a little suction as he took everything she had to give.

There was something just so deliciously erotic about the fact that she was wearing the teddy and he was still fully clothed, as well as the fact that he was denying his own release.

"Clark," she moaned again, her body fever hot with arousal. It seemed like he doubled his efforts, using, or so she thought, just a touch of super-speed until her body tensed and spasmed.

Once she recovered her breath, she sat up. Clark was sitting once more on the couch, a smug smile on his face.

"You really think you're God's gift, don't you?" she said, using her thumb to wipe at his lips. He caught her hand in his and sucked her thumb into his mouth. Lois' body gave a tiny involuntary spasm at the sight. But she was nowhere near done with him.

Getting on her knees, Lois reached for his belt, unbuckling it slowly, then unbuttoned the waistband before unzipping him. Clark had worn boxer briefs which normally fitted snugly and were made even tighter with his obvious erection. She could see a damp patch on the front.

Clark continued to sit still on the couch, not making it any easier for her. Smug bastard, she thought, refusing to let him know that she loved it when he let her take control like this. She pulled him down, then stretched the elastic band to slide the briefs carefully down. His erection sprang free from its tight confines and she licked her lips, lust hazing her eyes.

She heard him suck in a breath as she took him in her mouth, gliding her tongue over the velvety skin, tasting the bitter muskiness of him. There was a slight creak above her and she guessed he was clutching the arm of the couch, trying hard not to crush it. Clark continued to make small grunts and moans as she teased him to a fever pitch of arousal, the same way he had done to her. When she knew he was close, she upped the intensity, knowing he wouldn't last much longer.

"Lois!" he cried out, almost in warning. She didn't withdraw, taking all he gave.

He looked at her as she sat back, mirroring his previous smug smile. Clark just grinned back at her and leaned down, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to their bed. She watched as he stood up and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, making a show of it by drawing it out as much as possible. Lois decided to get her revenge on him by licking her fingers and wetting her nipples, then licking them again and sliding them between her slick folds.

By this time, Clark was removing his pants. He was still soft, but began using one hand to pull on his shaft so it began filling with blood. Watching this, Lois began rubbing herself in earnest, growing wetter.

With a growl, Clark practically pounced on her in the bed, taking her lips with his in a deep kiss.

"You are a devil woman," he told her.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she told him.

He grinned, pulling her close.

"Nope. Only you."

They rolled over in the bed so she lay on top of him, kissing him hungrily. His hands worked at the knot at the back of her neck, letting the lace drop. She moved up, straddling his chest so her breasts hung enticingly over him. He took the bait and lifted his head to nuzzle her, sucking her nipple into his mouth while his hand played with her other breast.

She threw her head back, lost in the sensations of his mouth on her. Clark rolled over once again, slipping the teddy the rest of the way off, careful not to tear the fabric. Lois grinned. Her panties never seemed to last long, but the teddies were a different story altogether. He loved seeing her in sexy lingerie and she loved wearing them, seeing the effect they had on him. Even if she was never wearing them for long.

He kissed her again as he filled her. She looked up at him with all the love she felt for him in her eyes, seeing that same love echoed back at her. God, how she loved this man. She couldn't wait until they would be man and wife in three months time.


	68. Lex

They were late getting in to work on Monday as Clark had a Superman-related emergency to take care of. Fortunately, Perry didn't seem to notice as he was in full story-telling mode to the rest of the staff in the early morning briefing.

"So there I was, stuck in mud up to my waist ..." He paused and looked at them. "Well, so nice of you two to join us." He returned to his story, which Clark had already heard a dozen times. Lex just sent him a sardonic look.

Perry finished his story and grinned at the assembled team.

"Well, as you will all have probably heard by now, Lois and Clark took away the Kerth Award on Saturday for excellence in Investigative Reporting. I don't mind telling you kids, it was some tough competition this year. Good thing that idiot Bailey was behind the eight-ball with his series on the homeless or else I'd be eatin' crow in front of that poor excuse for an editor, Kendall."

It was well-known among the reporters that Perry had a long-standing rivalry with the editor of the Metropolis Inquisitor. When they'd been journalists 'in the trenches' together, the two had often gone head to head, vying for the lead. Years ago, Perry had been practically a washed-up has-been after Lionel had done his best to destroy Perry's career. The veteran journalist had begun drinking heavily, becoming a full-blown alcoholic within a couple of years. He'd taken a job as a reporter for a tabloid tv show and had gone to Smallville to investigate mysterious incidents. Clark had been home from college at the time and had spent half of his time trying to avoid being caught using his abilities, a problem that had been compounded by solar flares. It was the first time he'd begun to realise that his abilities came from the yellow sun.

Thankfully, Perry had put down anything he had seen to a case of the DTs and after he'd nearly been killed trying to prove himself wrong, he had given up the booze. Drying out had made him more determined to regain his credibility and he'd spent five years rebuilding his career until he was offered the job as editor-in-chief at the Daily Planet.

It was little wonder that he now wanted to rub it in the face of his former rival that two of his reporters had won the Kerth Award, since Kendall had not hesitated to do the same when Perry's career had been on the skids.  
>Their rivalry had intensified months ago when Lex had forced the editor to fire the photographer. Kendall had been wanting to get back at the Daily Planet ever since, refusing to admit that his tactics and Rand's, had been less than ethical. Then when Superman had appeared on the scene, the Inquisitor editor had been boasting that he had the scoop. He'd ended up with egg all over his face when the Daily Planet had published Lois' article.<p>

Perry looked at them, finally, having heard from the other reporters on what they were working on.

"What's the situation with Lucas' appeal?" he asked.

Lex had tried to stop them from pursuing the story, since there was not only a conflict of interest with Lucas being Clark's adopted brother but also that Clark had been a witness against him, but Clark had refused to back down.

Lucas had been convicted after a very short trial. His attorney had tried all sorts of tactics, from a mistrial to a plea of insanity but Judge Sinclair had been very firm on the matter. Just because, she said, Lucas couldn't remember committing the crime, due to his unfortunate amnesia, it did not make him crazy and it did not excuse him. The jury had come to the same conclusion as well; their decision on the verdict swift.

Still, the attorney had lodged appeal after appeal on several grounds, including Clark's conflict of interest. So far the appeals had fallen on deaf ears.

"We heard that the attorney is trying to take it to the Court of Appeal, but we spoke to an expert last week and he told us the attorney doesn't have a case," Lois answered.

Clark nodded. Lois had called a law professor she knew at Washburn University. The man had practiced for more than twenty years before he'd taken the job at the university and he was considered the foremost expert on criminal justice.

"Well, keep at it," Perry told them, not sounding completely convinced.

Clark didn't want to worry Lois, but he didn't think it would be that easy. When he'd lost his memory, he had still made the same moral choices and he had a feeling Lucas would try to wriggle out of it somehow.

Just as they were leaving the meeting, Clark heard the sound of a bank alarm. He glanced at Lois, who nodded imperceptibly.

"You know what? I've got a craving for a blueberry muffin. Honey, you don't mind do you?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Clark snickered and shook his head.

"I could use a decent cup of coffee anyway," he replied.

"Ooh, I'd love a caramel macchiato too," she told him.

Clark left, running up the stairs at super-speed to change into his uniform. He just managed to catch Perry's last words to Lois.

"You know, that boy would walk on water for you?"

He didn't wait to hear Lois' reply, flying off to deal with the bank robbery. There were already police outside the bank when he landed.

"Superman. There are at least three of them from what we can tell. They have hostages."

Clark nodded at J'onn, who was wearing a Kevlar vest. There had been recent cutbacks in the police department which meant even detectives were sent out as negotiators for hostage situations. His friend didn't really need to continue his role as a police detective but he did so as it helped him keep his ear to the ground.

Clark scanned inside the bank, getting the lay of the land. Bruce had told him once of a situation he'd been in with the Joker where the so-called 'master criminal' had told his men to disguise themselves as hostages and the hostages were disguised as the armed men.

He hoped that the robbers in this situation hadn't heard of that tactic, he thought as he broke the temporary lock the armed men had put on the door.

"Superman!" one of them snarled as Clark slowly entered the building.

"Let the hostages go and no one has to get hurt," he said in his sternest voice.

"Fuck you!" one of them said, firing on him. Clark caught all the bullets so they wouldn't ricochet off him and hit an innocent person. He quickly crushed them to powder and began walking toward the man.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?" he asked, tsking lightly before grabbing the sub-machine gun and twisting the metal so it almost resembled a pretzel.

The robber tried to get away but Clark picked him up, then the other two, bending a light stand and twisting it around them so they couldn't get away. The hostages applauded.

Police officers stormed in and gaped at the three men who stood forlornly in the centre of the bank, looking as if they wished the earth would open up and swallow them.

"Thanks Superman," one officer called out.

"You're welcome," he returned, moving toward the door and taking off.

He just made it back to the Planet when he realised he hadn't got the muffin or the coffees. The last thing he needed was to expose his alter ego with a simple slip-up. He quickly put on his shirt and pants over his uniform and ran back out to Lois' favourite coffee shop, ordering the drinks and the muffin, getting himself a bear claw at the same time.

Lois greeted him with a smile as he returned to the office. She clearly knew what happened at the bank robbery.

"Guess they were new in town," she said with a grin.

"Guess so." He sat down at his computer and logged-on. "I'm just going to write up a few notes."

"Sure honey," Lois replied absently, already deep into reading something on her computer.

They worked steadily through the day, writing up their notes on Lucas' case and finishing up on another story they had been following the past several months. Lois mused it was a good thing she had realised something strange was going on after the fire in which Superman had made his auspicious debut. Her suspicions had been doubly aroused after a bomb had been set in an office downtown.

The company's CEO, Henry Harrison, had set off the explosions at the refinery, trying to make it look like someone else had set it up, then he'd faked threatening emails and letters. Harrison's company was failing and he had been hoping the so-called threats against him would throw off any suspicion that he was behind the scheme so he could claim on the insurance and slip out of the country before the truth came to light.

Thanks to the diligence of Lois and Clark, Harrison had been caught and convicted, sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison, but not before he had tried to kill them both.

Clark looked up from his computer, realising it was time to clock out.

"Hey, we better get going," he said.

Lois frowned at him, then her eyes widened.

"Oh, I totally forgot about dinner!"

"I'm sure Lex will understand," he assured her. "He knows we can get caught up in work."

"We need to pick up a bottle of wine on the way," she reminded him.

He helped her put on her coat. It was spring but it was still fairly cool, especially in the evenings. She turned and looked at him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you baby."

Arms around each other, they walked out of the office together and down to the parking garage. Clark unlocked his car with the remote and opened the passenger door for her, waiting until Lois got in.

As he drove out, he glanced at Lois.

"Did I tell you what Maddie said in her email the other night?"

Lois grinned wickedly. "We were kind of distracted with other things."

"Hmm, and who was it that caused said distraction?"

"Can I help it if you find me wildly attractive?"

"Not to mention utterly gorgeous," he added, leaning over to kiss her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "Anyway, Maddie was saying she was offered a chance to work on a dig site in Egypt."

"I didn't know Maddie was interested in archaeology," Lois answered.

"Neither did I, but she sounds like she's having a ball. By the way, Carter's in charge of the dig."

"Figures. You wouldn't have ... I don't know ... asked Carter to keep an eye on Maddie?"

"Who? Me?"

"Don't try and play the innocent with me, Luthor," Lois growled softly.

"Hey, I'm just trying to look out for her," he said, only half in protest. "I mean, Maddie's never had anyone look out for her before."

"I know, and that's one of the things I love about you. It's just ... you don't need to be so over-protective. Maddie's eighteen. She'll be nineteen in about four months or so. You've taught her how to be safe and she can take care of herself."

Clark understood that. He still felt responsible for the teen and that wasn't about to change.

Lex opened the door as soon as they pulled up.

"You're late," he said.

"Thank you, Mr States the Obvious," Clark replied, earning a slap upside the head from his brother.

"Good thing I figured you'd be caught up in work." He turned to let them in. "Dinner's almost ready."

Clark looked dubiously at his brother.

"Uh, you didn't, um, cook, did you?"

Lex sent him a withering look. "No, and thanks for your faith in me," he said sarcastically.

"Well, I ..."

Lois nudged him. "Honey, quit teasing your brother."

Clark pouted at her and she grinned back at him.

"Don't even think about it Luthor," she growled.

He didn't have a chance to pull the 'puppy-dog' look she often accused him of doing as Lena came out from the living room, practically leaping into his arms.

"Uncle Clark, Uncle Clark!"

"Hey squirt," he said.

"You haven't been here in ages!" she complained.

"What are you talking about, Lena? We were here last week."

"I know. Ages." She paused. "Guess what? Daddy and ..."

"Lena, I told you not to say anything," her father said sternly.

"The news can wait until after dinner," Kimberley said calmly, emerging from the kitchen. "Lena, sweetie, go wash up. That goes for you two as well," she added, winking at them.

Clark let his niece down and followed her to the bathroom while Lois washed up in the half-bath. They went in to dinner to find Kimberley had cooked a roast chicken with herbed mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Lex was standing at the counter, his arms around his girlfriend. The couple were kissing passionately.

Clark coughed politely. Lex ignored him, giving Kimberley another quick kiss before picking up the dish containing the chicken and carrying it to the table. As they sat down he began to carve slices.

"Hand me your plate, Clark," he said, adding slices to the plate.

Clark helped himself to the mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, watching as Kimberley picked up Lena's plate and added some vegetables.

"I don't want carrots," Lena said.

"Carrots are good for you," Kimberley told her. "Anyway, you'll like these carrots. They're baby carrots from my garden."

"Don't care. Don't want them."

"Lena ..." Lex began. Kimberley sent him a look before turning to the eight-year-old beside her.

"Lena, honey, you know we would never lie to you. Carrots are good for your eyesight. Did you ever see a rabbit wearing glasses?"

"That's so silly," Lena said, giggling anyway.

"Taste them," Kimberley coaxed.

Lena looked at her, then sighed, cutting a small piece of carrot. Clark had already tasted his and he could tell they were homegrown as they were sweeter than those he would have bought at the grocery store.

Lena chewed, then her eyes widened.

"These are really nice!" she exclaimed.

"Told you. Eat up," she said. "There's apple pie for dessert. We asked your Aunt Martha to make one especially for you."

That seemed to spur Lena on to eat more of her vegetables. Clark could understand since Martha's pies were the best he'd ever tasted.

He continued to watch his niece with Lex's girlfriend. The two of them seemed to have got on like a house on fire from the moment Kimberley and Lex had started dating, but lately it looked as though their relationship had become even closer. Kimberley was acting more like a mother to Lena than just a friend.

Clark began to have his suspicions about the news Lena had been about to blurt out before her father had stopped her, but decided it was better to keep quiet until Lex was ready to tell them. He guessed they wouldn't have to wait very long.

Kimberley brought out the promised apple pie shortly after dinner and doled out slices to everyone while Lex took ice cream from the freezer.

"Who wants ice cream with their pie?" he asked.

"Ooh, me, me, me," Lena called out.

"Did you eat all your vegetables?" her father asked.

"Yes," she promptly replied. Lex looked at Kimberley, winking at her, then nodded.

"All right. Since you've been a good girl and eaten all your dinner, you can have some ice cream with your pie. Clark? Lois?"

Lois had been suspiciously quiet during dinner, which was unusual for her, Clark thought. He'd glanced at her a couple of times and she seemed to be watching proceedings very carefully. When she thought he wasn't looking, she'd glanced down at her ring finger then looked at Kimberley's hand. It seemed she'd come to similar conclusions.

Dessert was over quickly and Lois got up to pick up the plates. Clark also stood to clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Kimberley got up as well, but he stopped her.

"You cooked," he said. "Let us take care of the dishes."

"Darling, sit down and relax," Lex said.

Clark glanced at Lois and raised an eyebrow, while she mouthed 'darling'? The couple had never been known for their PDAs and as far as he knew, Lex had never called Kimberley any kind of pet-name in front of them before. Lex had always been a little shy of showing any kind of affection, even in front of family.

Finally the dishes were in the process of being washed and the table was cleared. Lena had asked for a glass of juice and was sipping it quietly. Clark and Lois sat down just as the little girl looked at her father.

"Now, Daddy?" she said.

Lex nodded. "All right, Lena. Now you can tell them the news."

Lena lifted her head proudly and made the announcement.

"Daddy and Kimberley are getting married."

It was fairly obvious she expected a full fanfare and exclamations from both Lois and Clark as she appeared almost disappointed when all they offered was a hearty congratulations. Clark grinned at her.

"Sorry, honey, we kind of figured it out. Your dad and Kimberley weren't exactly being subtle."

"Oh."

"But I'm really happy for you guys," Clark said, smiling at his brother. Lex beamed.

"So, details please?" Lois asked.

Kimberley snickered. "Well, it's not like Lex put a full-page ad in the newspaper or anything," she answered, giving them both a sly look. "We just all went out to dinner on Friday night."

"Daddy asked me first if it would be okay," Lena said, "and then we asked Kimberley."

"We?"

Lex seemed a little embarrassed. "Well, if we're going to be a family ..."

"Darling," Kimberley said, placing a hand on his, "it was a lovely proposal, from both of you."

"So, where's the ring?" Lois asked.

"We're going shopping tomorrow for a ring," Kimberley answered.

It wasn't like Lex to be so unprepared but then Kimberley wasn't like any other woman Lex had ever dated, Clark thought. While the couple were clearly besotted with each other, they seemed fairly relaxed about the whole thing. Clark had seen Lex give in to blinding passion, only to find out that the passion, at least on the woman's side, had been faked. He'd given up on the idea of true love after he'd been taken in by a woman named Desiree Atkins, who had only married him for his money.

Helen had been rather cold, in Clark's opinion, but still, Lex had loved her; at least, as much as he'd been capable of loving anyone, and he'd been hurt by her betrayal. Kimberley was bright, outgoing and about the kindest person Clark knew, but she was no doormat either. She'd never let Lex get away with anything when she'd been working for him and still didn't let him get away with it. It was exactly what Lex needed.

"Have you set a date yet?" Lois asked. She'd become obsessed with weddings lately, but Clark supposed it was only natural, since the date for their own was coming up fast.

"Actually, we're just going to have something small," Lex answered.

"Not for another year though," Kimberley added. "My diary's pretty full with work and Lex is still trying to settle a few things with some of your father's old business associates."

"Speaking of which, I have to go to Europe next week to negotiate a buy-out on one of Dad's subsidiary companies, so Kimberley's going to stay here with Lena until I get back." He looked at his daughter and his fiancée. "That means no wild parties, you two."

"Aww," Kimberley pouted with a wink at Lena. "Damn! And here I was wondering how we could sneak in those kids from One Direction to play without the neighbours finding out."

Lex sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You're going to be a terrible influence on my kid," he replied.

Clark laughed at his brother as the couple bantered back and forth, squeezing Lois' hand. She grinned at him, squeezing back.

They both decided it was time they returned home and after quick hugs from Lena and Kimberley, they left the house. Lois laughed as Clark opened the door to their apartment.

"Lex has got his hands full with that one," she said.

"Like I have with you?" he asked, pulling her to him.

"Oh yeah," she purred. "You were in trouble the moment you met me."

"Don't I know it," he responded dryly, "but I still wouldn't have you any other way."

"Now that, Mr Luthor," she said, running her finger down his chest, "is going to get you sooo lucky."

"How lucky?" he asked with a grin.

She didn't answer, pulling him into the bedroom gripping his tie. He didn't move as she slowly began to unbutton his shirt, pushing the sleeves down his arms. Clark moved to kiss her and she put a finger on his lips.

"Uh uh," she said.

He grabbed her wrist before she could attack the belt buckle on his pants. Lois sent him a challenging look, then twisted her wrist out of his grip, knowing full well if he wanted to stop her there was no way she could resist. Clark kissed her as she unzipped his pants and slipped her hand inside, touching him through his boxer briefs.

Clark felt a tingle up his spine as she stroked him. The blood began to rush below and he moaned softly. Lois grinned wickedly, licking her lips, her hand still on him as her other hand undid the buckle and then the top buttons on his pants, pushing them down as she got down on her knees and pulled at his briefs.

He was forced to keep still, feeling the heat of her breath as she blew gently on him. Lois contined to tease him with feather-light touches, stopping now and again just when he thought it was going to drive him crazy.

Clark had had just about enough of her teasing when her mouth closed over him, her tongue sliding smoothly, tracing every vein. He groaned, pulling her up and picking her up in his arms before she could utter a word of protest.

He carried her at super speed into the bathroom, turning on the shower and undressing them both. Lois looked at him with a knowing smile as he carried her under the water, locking her legs around his waist. He kissed her as he drove into her again and again.

They lay in bed, having made love once again, cuddled up close.

"You know, I've never seen Lex so happy," Lois commented.

"I know. I was thinking about that earlier. I mean, he's been married twice, but neither one of them made him that happy."

"I knew about Helen, but who was his first wife?"

"This woman named Desiree. We used to call her the Black Widow."

Lois frowned as she looked up at him. "How come?"

"Well, Chloe found out she was with this guy when the meteor shower occurred. They were, uh, in the throes of passion when the meteors hit. We never did find out where exactly they were but she had enhanced pheromones. Long story short, she married a couple of guys for their money, seduced a high school student to murder the husbands and lost all the money, then tried it for a third time with Lex. Only Chloe and I figured out the truth and stopped her before she could kill him."

"Wow. What happened to her?"

"She's still serving time in Metropolis Women's prison. Lex had some doctors look at her to see if they could fix the pheromone levels but I'm not sure if they succeeded."

"Smallville is a weird place."

"Mm. When I first found out the truth about my origins I felt like it was my fault the meteors came and were hurting people. Of course, then my father tried to put his own spin on it. It was Lex who gave me a good slap upside the head and told me not to be such an idiot."

"He's right. You were just a baby when you left Krypton."

"Yeah, I know. I still feel bad that people have gotten hurt because of the meteors. I mean, maybe Lex is right when he says that some people just become psychotic because there was always something wrong with them before. Like there's some chemical imbalance in their brain that makes them that way. I mean, I've known some people who were changed by the meteors, but they didn't go crazy. Not completely."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there was this girl, Jodi. She wanted to lose weight so she had these diet shakes made up of vegetables and fruit which were grown in meteor-contaminated soil. I mean, she was really pretty even before she lost weight. The diet shakes made her lose weight very quickly; actually dangerously quickly and she got these uncontrollable cravings where she had to basically sucked the fat out of living things."

"That poor girl."

Jodi had been bullied by a guy who had kept teasing her for being fat, even though she really wasn't that fat to begin with. Clark had been pissed off with the guy and had wanted to go after him, until Jodi's cravings had gone completely out of control and she'd ended up trying to suck the fat from him. Horrified at what she had done, Jodi had tried to kill herself, but Clark had managed to stop her in time and get her some treatment.

"What happened to her?"

"Well, I don't think she was completely cured, but they found a way to deal with it. She now works as a counsellor in a teen crisis centre."

Lois was quiet for a moment. "So, were there any others?"

"Actually, do you remember Alicia?"

"The friend of yours who owned that restaurant?"

Clark nodded. "I sort of didn't tell you everything."

Lois looked up at him, waiting.

"We didn't exactly meet in college. I was at Luthorcorp one day when she came through with a school group. She was a junior at Smallville High. I was in there for a meeting with Lionel and was going down in the lift when the cables broke. I figured out later that it was just another one of Lionel's 'tests'. Anyway, it turned out she was a teleporter and she teleported us out of the lift to protect my secret. We got to be friends after that, but we didn't date."

"Now I understand why she hesitated," Lois answered, clearly remembering when she'd first met Alicia. Clark had told her Alicia was a 'friend from college', implying he'd met her in college. When Lois had asked his friend about it, she had looked a little taken aback. It wasn't that Clark had deliberately lied to Lois, since he'd been in college himself, but he hadn't wanted to go into detail either. Alicia's abilities were her secret to tell.

"She really is just a good friend."

They'd eaten at Alicia's restaurant a few times over the past few months. She was always happy to see them and had been delighted when Clark had told her he and Lois were getting married. She'd kidded around and told him the moment she'd met Lois that she knew he'd finally been caught.

Alicia had offered to cater the reception for them, which Clark had gratefully accepted.

Lois sighed softly and snuggled against him.

"Love you," she muttered.

"Love you too," he replied softly, stroking her gently as she fell asleep.


	69. Pre-Nuptials

"Daddy!"

Lois waved at her father from across the street. Sam waved back, grinning broadly, waiting as she crossed the street to join him. She hugged him, picking up the scent of his aftershave and the Chevello cigars he still smoked, even though she had begged him to give them up a hundred times. The scents brought back memories of her childhood, before her mother had died, of spending time with her father. She'd always been more her father's daughter than her mother's.

"Lo," her father said.

The last several months Lois had grown closer to her father in ways that she had never imagined. While he was still based in D.C he did try to get to Metropolis as often as possible, and Clark had always been welcoming. Lois had to admit that while the relationship between her fiancé and her father hadn't been the easiest at first, the night he'd come over for dinner for the first time had shown him that Clark was really not the arrogant jerk he'd initially thought he was.

A few months ago, he'd sent her a package from D.C and it had turned out to be tapes her mother had made while she was dying in the hospital. Lois had sat and watched the tapes one night while Clark had been out on Superman duties. He'd asked her if she wanted him to stay, but she'd let him go with a kiss. The truth was, she felt this was something she needed to do in private. She hadn't realised, however, that she would get so emotional as she watched her mother's condition deteriorating on screen. Clark had come home from patrol to find her crying and hadn't said a word, gathering her in his arms and holding her as she cried.

There had also been a few other things in the package her father had sent. One thing was her mother's wedding dress while another was an ornament – a bird made of blue crystal. Her mother had told her on the video tape that her father had bought it when they'd found out Ella was pregnant. The couple had been stationed in Russia at the time and there the bird was considered a symbol of hope.

"So where's Clark?" Sam asked, bringing Lois out of her reverie.

"He's just finishing up something at the Planet," she lied, not wanting to reveal to her father that he was actually out assisting at a fire at a tenement that was threatening to take out an entire block of apartments.  
>Her father put an arm around her and guided her into the restaurant.<p>

"Well, that's good, since I wanted to talk to you."

"Dad, you're going to be here for a whole week."

"I know," he said, greeting the seating hostess. "Lane, party of three. Her fiancé will be joining us shortly."

"Yes sir. Right this way."

"Anyway, Lois, I just wanted a chance to talk to you alone since you're going to be a married woman in two days."

Lois nodded, sighing softly. It seemed like only a short time ago that Clark had proposed and their wedding day had come up so fast. She was feeling a little nervous.

Her father sat her down at their table and ordered a carafe of white wine for the table.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"Are you nervous, honey?" he said.

"A little," she admitted. "I mean, I love Clark, and you know, we've been living together for months. It's just ... marriage ..."

"It's a big step, I know. Lo, I have to admit when you first introduced me to Clark, I thought he was just like his father. Lionel could be a ruthless bastard and I made no secret of my dislike for him. I'm happy to say that I completely misjudged Clark and over the past few months I'd like to think we've gained a mutual respect for each other."

She nodded, pausing as the server came to leave the carafe and some glasses on the table.

"Clark's not here yet," she told the girl. "Would you mind if we waited to order?"

"Not at all, Miss Lane. Just let me know when you're ready."

Lois smiled at the girl, remembering the little lesson Lex had taught them several months ago in the diner. She made it a point now to be courteous to all service workers whenever possible. Most of them seemed to appreciate her attitude, although there had been some who still had sour looks on their faces.

She looked at her father as the server walked away.

"Dad, I know from what Clark's told me that he does have enormous respect for you."

Her father nodded. "The one thing I have always cared about is that you girls are happy, and he has certainly made sure of that."

Lois had been happier than she had ever been. To think that just over a year ago she had been so focused on her career that she had considered giving up dating altogether. Being with Clark had taught her that she could have her cake and eat it too. That falling in love with someone didn't mean she would disappear, or that she had to sacrifice her own career.

"Do you remember Wes Keenan?" Sam asked.

How could she not, she thought, since Wes had been the victim of experiments to create super-soldiers. She'd dated Wes a long time ago.

Her father had strenuously objected to her dating Wes, and not just because he was older than her. Wes had had a troubled adolescence, and it hadn't been until he'd met a retired army sergeant through a school youth program that he had begun to turn his life around. The general, however, had considered Wes to be a bad influence on Lois.

"You want to know how I knew you didn't love Wes?" the general asked.

Lois shrugged. "How, Dad?"

"You never stood up for him. I knew the moment you and Clark sat down in that restaurant that night that you loved him."

"Because I defended him?"

Her father nodded.

"I'd barely known Clark two weeks then," she said. "How could you possibly ..."

"I knew the moment I looked into your mother's eyes that she was the one for me. There is such a thing as love at first sight."

"I didn't know that," Lois told her father.

"I never really talked much about your mother when you were growing up. Truth is, it hurt too much. Losing her was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. But what I didn't see was that I was losing you girls too, by turning away from you."

"Why did you?" she asked.

"Oh sweetheart, the truth is, I saw so much of your mother in you, and in Lucy, and I was angry at her for leaving. I know the cancer was not something she could help, but I was angry."

She understood. He had lost the only woman he'd ever loved, and had found it difficult to deal with. Trying to handle his two grieving daughters in the midst of his own grief was just too much for him.

"I made a lot of mistakes with you and Lucy. I know that. And the biggest mistake I made, I think, is letting you think that my job always came first."

Lois waited, not knowing what to say. It was true. He'd always made her feel that his job, his calling, was so much greater than her own destiny. Clark might be Superman, but he had always made it clear that she would come first. Their family would always come first.

She had learned a long time ago that loving Clark meant not just accepting his destiny, but being there to provide a balance. Without that, she sometimes wondered if he would have fully embraced his Kryptonian side. Clark had told her that just because he was Superman, it didn't mean he was above humanity. He needed to be a part of them. To understand them. He needed her to give him that perspective.

"You know, your mother almost left me at the altar for the same reason."

Lois raised an eyebrow as she looked at her father. "Really?"

He nodded. "They say rank has its privileges, but it also has its dangers. Lo, I've worked on a lot of military projects that ... well, they're still classified, so I can't tell you exactly what they are. What I can tell you is that they can and have made me a target. And by extension, you and your sister. You know, when your mom was pregnant with Lucy, there was an incident. You wouldn't remember it – you were barely two at the time – but they had to move you and your mom to a safehouse for a few days until they could neutralise the threat to you."

"Why?"

"All I can say is it was a group linked to a Russian terrorist cell. That was before the Berlin wall fell. I was on a mission in Moscow."

Lois nodded. "So, you said mom almost left you?"

"Your mom was afraid that I might be sent overseas on some mission that I might never come back from. Or that she might become a target by some group wanting to use her to get to me."

"How did you convince her to go ahead with it?" Lois asked.  
>"I told her that she reminded me of the simple things I needed to enjoy. Of the things that made me human. Going off to war made me a hero, but coming home to her made me a man, and I needed that."<p>

She remembered he'd said something similar to Clark a few months earlier, although she was sure she hadn't been meant to hear it.

Clark approached the table, straightening his tie.

"Sorry I'm late, sir."

Sam smiled at him. "That's all right, son. God knows, I know how busy it can get, but just remember family always comes first."

Lois kissed Clark on the cheek.

"Did you manage to get the story done?" she asked, sending him a meaningful look.

He nodded. "Just managed to beat the deadline," he answered.

"Great," she said, knowing it was code for him having managed to beat back the fire. She was sure he'd also written up the story for the paper.

Sam picked up his menu. "So, what are we ordering?"

Lois watched as her father and Clark talked while they perused their menus. It seemed that the two men had bonded in the past few months, and she was relieved that they were getting along so well.

"So," Sam asked, "are you planning on having a bachelor party?"

Clark grinned. "Your daughter put her foot down. She doesn't want a groom with a hangover."

Sam grinned back. "You should have seen the party I had before I married my Ella. Let me tell you something about army boys, Clark. The majority of them are very serious about their jobs but when they party, they really know how to party. I was so drunk that night I passed out. I didn't remember a thing until I woke up the next morning sick as a dog from a hangover, stripped down to my underwear and chained to a lamp-post with a sign around my neck." He chuckled. "Those boys," he recalled fondly. "I got my revenge on them though when each one of them got hitched."

"Sounds like it was a lot of fun," Clark smiled. "My brother did suggest we check out a gentlemen's club, but ..."

"Oh no you don't," Lois answered. No way in hell was she going to let her man anywhere near a strip club. Not even for his last night of freedom.

Her father laughed at her reaction.

"Careful, Clark, once they get that ring on their finger they're the boss and they don't mind letting you know it."

Clark chuckled. "Don't I know it. She's been bossing me around from the moment I met her."

"I so have not!" she started indignantly.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"I never said I didn't like it."

Lois felt herself blushing at his comment. Her father didn't seem to notice.

"Yep, my Ella could be bossy when she wanted to be. I suppose that's where Lois gets it from."

"You wouldn't have had it any other way, though, would you Sam?"

"Hell no. Did I ever tell you how we met?"

"No sir."

"Well, there I was, this smart-aleck kid, a senior in high school and in transfers this beautiful girl. Long black hair, tall, great body."

"Do I really want to hear this?" Lois asked.

Her father snickered at her.

"Your mother was easily the most beautiful girl in school but it was like she didn't know it or she didn't care. Anyway, I was hanging out with my friends and she walks past. Of course, the guys are wolf-whistling and acting like they've never seen a girl before and I'm busting a gut trying to make myself look good for her. So she stops and gives us this look, like we're about three feet tall."

"Yeah, I know that look," Clark answered. Lois nudged him with her elbow and he laughed.

"So how did you and Mom get together?" Lois asked.

"Well, I needed a tutor in English or else they wouldn't have let me graduate. I wasn't the best of students. So, they got your mother to tutor me. Rather reluctantly, I might add. We fought more than we actually got along, drove each other crazy, but by the end of the year I knew I was gonna marry her. Of course," he added with a wink, "it took me about five years to convince her."

"That's a great story, Dad."

"Sounds a little like us, don't you think Lois?" Clark asked, grinning at her.

"You wish, Luthor," she shot back.

By the time it was 24 hours to D-Day, as she called it, or maybe it should have been W-Day, Lois was a bundle of nerves. Clark was staying at Lex's for the night while Chloe, Maddie, Kimberley and Lena were staying at the apartment.

She paced up and down the living room.

"Lo, you're going to wear a trench in the floor at this rate," her cousin said.

"Easy for you to say. You've already done the march down the aisle." Chloe and Bruce had got married a couple of months earlier.

Chloe shrugged. "Bruce organised it. You know what he's like."

Kimberley handed her a glass. "Normally I don't think it's a good idea to drink too much on the night before your wedding, but this will help relax you."

Lois stared at the amber liquid in the glass. Clark wasn't much into spirits, although he did keep a bottle for medicinal purposes.

"It's just scotch," Kimberley told her.

"I know. I used to drink with Green Berets and Navy Seals. Hell, I could drink a few generals under the table. Not that my father would have ever approved."

"You did a lot of things your dad would never have approved of," Chloe told her.

The main door was flung open and they all turned to look. Lucy stood in the doorway, her hair wet and bedraggled. She was carrying a small child.

"Lo, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I'm late. You wouldn't believe the traffic out there. It's like all the idiots have come out at once."

Lois went over to her sister and plucked her niece out of her sister's arms.

"Come on, you're soaked."

"Yeah, the taxi got stuck in a traffic jam a couple of blocks from here and we had to walk."

"Where's Ron?"

"I'm here," Lucy's husband grumbled. He was struggling with a very wet stroller and a couple of suitcases. "I swear I'm going to regret moving back to this mudhole."

Lois frowned at him.

"What?"

"Honey, didn't you tell your sister?"

Lucy had just come out of the guest bathroom, using a towel to dry her hair.

"I've only just got here," she said. "I haven't had a chance."

"Tell me what?"

"Ron got a job at the Planet. We're moving here next month."

"What? Lucy, that's great!" Lois realised she was almost squealing but she didn't care. Now she and her sister could be in the same city together. "Have you told Dad yet?"

"We figured we'd tell you first," Lucy smiled. She kissed her husband on the cheek. "Sorry honey."

"I did tell you to go ahead so the baby wouldn't catch pneumonia." He looked at his daughter in Lois' arms. "Let me take her and get her dried off."

"Bedroom down the hall," Lois told him. "Have you got some dry clothes for her?" she added, looking anxiously at the wet suitcases.

"We'll figure out something," he said, disappearing down the hallway.

Lucy was looking out the window. "Whoa! It's really bucketing down out there. Was it supposed to be like this?"

"It's supposed to be fine and sunny for the ceremony."

"Well, you know, rain on your wedding day is supposed to be lucky," Chloe said.

"As long as it's not raining cats and dogs," Maddie commented.

"In the case of Smallville, that could even be literal," Chloe laughed.

Lena jumped back from the window she was peering out of as lightning struck. Thunder rumbled a few seconds later. Kimberley put an arm around her.

"Okay honey?"

"I don't like thunder," Lena shivered.

"Me either," Kimberley replied, hugging her.

Ron came back out of the bedroom carrying his daughter, who was now dressed in dry clothes. He ran a hand through his wet hair.

"Sorry Lois. We came straight from the airport. The plane was already late because of the weather."

Lois just smiled at her brother-in-law.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're here. That's the main thing."

Kimberley went to pick up the phone as it rang. She talked for a few seconds then held it out.

"Lois, it's the other half. Although not necessarily your better half." She giggled. Clark must have said something back to her.

Lois laughed and took the phone.

"Hi honey."

"Sounds like you're having a party there," he said.

"No, Lucy just got here. She and Ron and the munchkin got soaked but they're okay. I just hope it's not going to rain tomorrow."

"Ahh, you know I could just blow those rain clouds away."

"You would too," she chuckled. "What are you guys doing?"

"Not much. Just drinking beer and sitting around talking. Well, Ollie and I are drinking beer, Lex is drinking scotch and Bruce ... I don't really know what Bruce is drinking."

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about you not being sober tomorrow, but you better warn Lex if he turns up tomorrow with a hangover, Kimberley will be on his case so hard ..."

"Damn right I would!" Kimberley piped up.

Lois heard Lex chuckling in the background before saying something.

"What was that?" she asked Clark.

"He said who went and made her the boss of him?"

Lois relayed it to Kimberley, who laughed.

"Tell him he did when he put that ring on my finger."

Clark laughed and told Lex what his fiancée had retorted. Lois found herself relaxing as they continued to banter. Clark's phone call couldn't have come at a better time, she thought. Yet as far as she knew, Kryptonians weren't telepathic.

Lois eventually had to hang up.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said softly. "I love you."

"I love you," he returned.

Lois hung up and sighed softly.

"Oh, here she goes, dreaming about her dream guy," Chloe laughed.

"Well, he is," Lois said.

"This from the woman who said her Mister Perfect would be the kind of guy who would go for walks on the beach and take her to a Monster Truck rally."

Lois shot her cousin a look.

"Well, he has done all of those things. He took me to a rally last summer and we've been to a few more since then. And we've gone to a few football games as well."

"Fine. You're right. He's perfect."

Lois grinned. She'd learned a long time ago there was no such thing as a fairytale Prince Charming, but still Clark was perfect for her. Maybe they didn't like the same things all the time. God knew Clark was not a fan of the Monster Truck rallies, but he went because it was something she enjoyed. Lois didn't mind football but she wasn't going to sit and watch it all day on the television, yet she would go to a game if Clark asked her to, simply because it was something he liked that he wanted to share with her.

"All right, missy, time to break out the good stuff."

Lois cocked an eyebrow at Kimberley, who grinned and opened up her cosmetics case, pulling out bottles of nail polish. Lena jumped up from the couch excitedly.

"Ooh, can I have my nails painted?"

"Of course you can sweetie," Kimberley answered taking out her manicure kit and began to buff the eight-year-old's nails.

Lena was going to be flower girl, since Lucy's daughter was only just walking, and her dress was a pale purple satin. Kimberley chose a light pink and began painting Lena's nails while Chloe picked out a darker pink and began painting Lois' nails.

Lucy was feeding baby Melissa so she would go down for the night. The couple were staying in Maddie's room. Lena and Maddie would be sleeping in the office as Chloe had taken Lena's bed. Bruce was, of course, staying at Lex's, as was Oliver as the house had five bedrooms.

"Right, Maddie, your turn," Kimberley told her once she'd finished Lena's nails. Maddie sat on the couch so the older woman could work on her nails.

By the time the nails were done it was almost bedtime for Lena. She had been allowed to stay up a little later but even Lois could see the girl's eyes were drooping.

"Time for bed honey," she told her niece.

Lena yawned and muttered something then got up without protest and went down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change into her pyjamas. Lois stood up to fix up the cot but Kimberley stopped her.

"You just relax sweetie. Let me take care of it."

Ron and Lucy walked back out, having put Melissa to bed.

"Out like a light," Lucy commented, plopping down on the couch.

"Your daughter is beautiful," Kimberley said.

Lucy beamed. "Thank you. She is. She looks a lot like our mom."

Lois nodded at her sister. "She does."

The sisters looked at each other, then at the photo of their parents on the mantel. Lois had had it enlarged and framed.

"Mom was so beautiful," Lucy said softly. "I still miss her."

"I do too."

"Your mom is still with you," Maddie said. "She's there in every thought, in every kiss and in every hug."

"Maddie, that's such a beautiful thing to say."

Maddie shrugged. "I miss my mom too, sometimes."

Lois got up from the chair and went to hug the teen. Lena came in and asked what was going on.

"We're just talking about moms," Chloe said, her eyes appearing to mist over. "I know if my mom could be here, she would."

Lois knew her aunt would, but Moira Sullivan was locked inside her own mind, left in the care of a psychiatric facility. Who knew if she would ever recover?

"I miss my real mom," Lena said, "but I'm lucky because I have a new mom."

Kimberley looked stunned, her own eyes full of tears. She gathered Lena into her arms and hugged her. Lois tried not to cry at the sight. It was such a simple thing but it said so much about how far Lena had come in the past year and how much she cared for the woman her father was marrying. They had become a family.

They sat up until midnight talking softly, careful not to wake Lena, who had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning brought the promised sunshine and Lois leaped out of bed, automatically checking the clock on her phone. There was a text message from Clark.

Morning sleepyhead. Just wanted to tell you I love you and I can't wait to see you at the church.

Lois grinned at the message and wrapped herself in her robe, going out to the living room. Chloe was already up, making coffee.

"Morning," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel ... okay, actually."

Chloe had been a bundle of nerves before she had married Bruce, but then their wedding had practically been a circus compared to the simple ceremony Lois and Clark had opted for.

Lena came bounding in from the terrace.

"Aunt Lois," she said, wrapping her arms around her. "The rain went away."

"Yes it did sweetie."

There was a knock on the door and Chloe went to answer it. Kimberley walked in.

"T-minus three hours, ladies. I just checked with the church, the pastor and the restaurant. Everything is running smoothly."

"I wouldn't doubt it for a second," Lois answered, knowing how organised Kimberley was.

Everyone was up by this time, including Lucy and Ron's daughter. Melissa was a little cranky so Lois took her from her sister and played with her while Lucy got her breakfast ready. Ron watched her with amusement as the baby laughed.

"You're going to be a great Mom some day," he said.

Lois smiled at her brother-in-law. "I hope so."

"Have you and Clark talked about having kids?"

She nodded. "Off and on. We both want them."

"I've always thought children were a blessing," Kimberley said, her arms around Lena.

Lois couldn't agree more.

The make-up technician and hairdressers Kimberley had hired duly arrived and Lois went off to shower while the others were getting their hair and make-up done. She emerged from the shower with her hair wet as instructed and let the hairdresser go to work. She had opted for a fairly simple but flowing style which would work with the veil.

Chloe and Lucy, as her bridesmaids, were wearing long dresses in blue, their hair slightly curled and swept up in loose knots.

By the time everything was done, Kimberley announced it was T-minus thirty minutes and the general was still not at the apartment.

"Did you text him?" Lois asked anxiously.

Kimberley nodded. "He'll be here, Lois. He's your father."

"We need to be leaving for the church soon."

"Don't worry, sweetie," Chloe assured her. "It's customary for the bride to be a little late to her own wedding."

Ron went out after a quick glance at Lucy, then came back in a minute later.

"He's here," he said. The general followed. He was wearing his army dress uniform with all his medals.

"Daddy!" Lois smiled.

"Sorry I'm late sweetheart," he said. "Traffic."

"You're here now."

He looked around. "I'd like a minute alone with my daughters," he requested. "If that's all right."

"We'll be right outside," Kimberley answered.

Lois waited as the others filed out, then looked at her father. He smiled.

"Look at you," he said, almost breathless. "You remind me so much of your mother. You both do. Lo, Lucy, I just ... I want you to know how proud I am of you today. Of both of you. I know if your mother were here, she would be just as proud, if not more so."

Lucy sounded almost tearful as she spoke.

"We love you, Daddy. We're proud to be your daughters."

Lois nodded at her sister, then went to her father, hugging him. Lucy wrapped her arms around both of them.  
>They broke apart gently.<p>

"Let's get this show on the road, huh?" Sam said with a wink. "Don't want to keep that man of yours waiting."

Lois laughed and followed her father out the door, pausing to look at the apartment. The next time she came through that door, she would be a married woman.


	70. Wedding

Clark stood in the ante-room waiting for the ceremony to begin. Lex came in.

"Kimberley just texted. They're on their way."

"Great. Have all the guests arrived?"

Oliver nodded. "AC and Bart are bickering as usual."

Clark rolled his eyes. "I swear, sometimes I want to knock their heads together."

"Yeah, you and me both."

"I wouldn't worry. Bruce will do it for you in a minute if they don't shut up." His brother peered at him. "You nervous?"

Clark shook his head. "I'm fine."

There was a knock on the door and Lex went to answer it, smiling broadly at Jonathan and Martha.

"We just wanted to wish you the best for the ceremony," Martha said softly. She smiled at him. "You look so handsome."

"Martha, don't fuss over the boy."

The redhead just sent her husband a look, making all four men laugh. They continued to chat with the older couple for a while until the pastor's assistant came in to tell Clark to take his place at the front of the church.

Clark walked up the aisle, flanked by Lex, who was of course his best man, and Oliver, his groomsman, greeting friends. He saw Perry sitting in the seat behind Bruce and the older man winked at him.

When they'd talked over the kind of ceremony they wanted, Clark and Lois had opted for something not too traditional. That included the music. Lois hadn't wanted the normal wedding march and had gone through Clark's CD collection. He grinned at his brother as the first few bars of the song True by Spandau Ballet began to play.

Only Lex and Perry seemed to understand the reference. After all, it had been a cable show which had brought them together; a show which looked at the truth about men and women.

The doors at the back of the church opened and Lena entered with a basket of white rose petals. She grinned at him as she came down the aisle. Then it was Lucy's turn. Clark had met her at their engagement party and had liked her, although she would never hold a candle to Lois. Lucy was dressed in blue, holding a bouquet of white lilies, followed closely by Chloe.

He held his breath as sun poured in from the open door of the church and Lois stepped forward with her father. Her white dress made her seem almost ethereal. He gazed at her in wonder, knowing how incredibly lucky he was to have found someone who understood him, who grounded him. Who had seen past his initial arrogance and made a man of him.

There was utter silence as Lois' hand slipped into his and she turned and smiled at him. The pastor began.

"Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Lois and Clark a very important moment in their lives. In the time they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

She looked at Sam.

"Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?"

Sam lifted his head proudly. "I do."

"Clark and Lois have opted to have a reading of excerpts from Plato," she said, opening her file.

"Our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans' insolence without destroying them.

"It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half. After the division of two parts of each desiring their other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one. So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of humankind.

"Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half."

She paused. Clark squeezed Lois' hand. She squeezed back, her gaze still on the pastor.

"Marriage is not just a meeting of minds and hearts, but a meeting of souls. As Plato says, we can search our entire lives for the other half of our soul and for Clark and Lois, they have been fortunate to find each other.

"Now in the presence of their family and friends, they declare their intention to live together as husband and wife, to support each other and give each other strength."

She smiled at Clark.

"Clark, will you take Lois to be your companion. To share with her life's joys and sorrows, be there to comfort her in bad times and celebrate with her in good times. Will you be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I will."

"Lois, will you take Clark to be your companion. To share with him life's joys and sorrows, be there to comfort him in bad times and celebrate with him in good times. Will you be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Lois smiled and nodded. Her voice rang out clearly. "I will."

The pastor turned to look at Lex.

"Do you have the ring?"

He nodded and handed it to Clark, who slid it on Lois' finger.

"Lois, from the moment I met you, you have stayed true to yourself. I have never known such a person with as much compassion, integrity and such strength as you. You demand the world be a better place and you don't just sit back and wait for it, you set an example for it to follow.

"With you by my side I will always follow that example. I will never be alone. On this day and in this moment, I pledge my life to you. You've always believed in me and I believe in you, and when you believe in someone it's not for a minute, it's forever."

Lois took Clark's ring from Lucy and slid it on his finger.

"I always thought that I was looking for Mister Perfect. I had this image in my head of someone who would always like the same things I liked and that we would always agree on everything. I'm happy to say I was wrong because the thing about perfection is, it's a dream. Life isn't meant to be perfect. It's a little messy. It's the same with love. It's like what my dad says about the army. You only sign up for it if it's the only thing you can imagine doing.

"I can't imagine my life without you, Clark. You're my best friend and my soulmate and today I want to give you my heart, my love and our life together."

Again the pastor smiled. She placed her hand over their joined hands.

"As Lois and Clark have consented together in marriage before you, family and friends and have pledged their faith to each other and declared the same by joining hands and giving and receiving rings, I prounounce that they are husband and wife."

A cheer could be heard from the back row. Clark grinned.

"Clark, Lois, it has been an honour and a privilege to be present at your marriage today. May your lives be filled with much love and laughter and your years together bring you happiness and many blessings." She winked at them. "You may now seal it with a kiss."

Clark turned to Lois and lifted her veil, then pulled her into his arms for a deep, searing kiss which brought catcalls from all those assembled.

"Hey, get a room you two!" someone, probably Bart, yelled out. Lois laughed as they separated and turned to face their guests. Lois was still clutching his hand tightly as if she had needed the reassurance of his presence beside her.

There were hugs all around from their friends and family. Ron and Lucy's daughter, who had been blessedly quiet all this time, began crying at all the noise and Ron rocked her in his arms.

Lena was close to ruining her pretty dress as she jumped in his arms for a hug and kiss before leaning over to get the same from Lois.

There was a marriage licence to sign and photos to be taken and it was another hour before they could make their way to Alicia's restaurant, which they'd hired out to cater the wedding. With the tables set up to line the walls there was enough room for a dance floor in the middle.

Jimmy, who would be attending college in the fall, played guitar in a covers band. The group had been together since their freshman year of high school and were actually pretty good. Jimmy had once told them that he hoped one day they'd be able to record some of their original songs but in the meantime they were happy playing at various parties to earn some extra cash. He'd offered to be the emcee for the reception, as well as the band to play, for no fee, but Clark and Lois wouldn't hear of it.

He'd confessed to them several months ago that Lex had asked him to take photos of Clark and Lois in the early stages of their relationship. Clark's brother had never told them the reason for it, and no amount of prodding would make him own up to it. The photo Jimmy had eventually given them now sat in a frame in their office.

As they walked in, holding hands, there was a drum roll. Jimmy grinned and winked at them, then turned to the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the happy couple, Clark and Lois Luthor."

There were a few wolf whistles and claps, then AC yelled out:

"You're supposed to wait for the honeymoon, you two, not take the scenic route."

Lois laughed, blushing. Clark grinned at her. They might have made out a little in the limo on the way but they certainly hadn't gone that far.

Jimmy was laughing as well as he turned back to his bandmates and began to play For Once In My Life.

Clark reflected on the lyrics. They might as well be talking about him, he thought. It was the same thing he'd said in his vows. With her by his side, he would never be alone.

Lois looked at him and it was clear she was listening to the song as well. She mouthed 'I love you' to him and he smiled and lifted her hand to kiss it.

The next number began to play as Lex came over with Kimberley.

"Hey," Clark said.

"You both look so happy," Kimberley told them.

"We are," Lois answered. Clark nodded in agreement.

Lex squeezed Kimberley's hand. "It'll be our turn this time next year sweetheart."

Kimberley sent him a loving smile and kissed him on the cheek. Lena hugged her future stepmother.

"Do I get to be flower girl then?" she asked.

Kimberley looked at her. "Well, I was kinda hoping you'd be able to do a much bigger job than that."

Lena frowned at her, not understanding.

"I want you to be a bridesmaid, sweetie," the older woman told her.

Clark grinned as Lena began asking questions about being a bridesmaid. He didn't know what the tradition was but he was sure Lena might be a little young. Then again, Kimberley didn't care much for tradition and it would be her wedding so she could do whatever she wanted.

It wasn't long before Alicia and her staff announced it was time for dinner. The bridal table was served first. Lucy and Chloe sat to Lois' right, with Sam on the end, while Lex and Oliver sat to Clark's left. Clark watched as Lucy whispered something to Lois, who giggled and sent him a sly look.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"I'll tell you later," she answered.

They ate a superbly cooked meal, then it was time for speeches. Sam got up first, looking a little nervous as he took the microphone from Jimmy.

"Well, uh, I'm a military man. I'm used to giving orders, not speeches." He scratched his head, then shrugged. "My daughters will tell you that I can be a hard man. I don't dispute that. I lost my wife, the girls' mother, over twenty years ago, but I see my Ella in them and I know that she would be as proud of our daughters as I am today.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I was hard on them sometimes. I made mistakes, but someone once told me that I did something right because my girls are the most compassionate, loving women you could ever meet. And I'm not saying that because I'm their dad. Someone else told me that.

"Clark might tell you that I was hard on him too at first. I judge a man by his actions, not his words and I don't mind admitting that Clark's reputation did worry me in the beginning. I didn't think he was good enough for my little girl, but then what father, at least, what decent father, would ever think any guy was good enough? I can see that my daughter is happy and to me that is the most important thing of all."

He raised his glass.

"To Lois, my beautiful daughter, and to her new husband Clark, may you both share many joys and have many wonderful, happy years together."

Others wanted to say something and Clark found himself laughing when Oliver started his speech off with a funny but embarrassing story from their time at Excelsior. Then Lex got up.

"As you know, Clark is my little brother. Our parents adopted him when he was a toddler and I was nine. Well, at that age, all I could think was I was going to be stuck with this gigantic pain in the ass. Still, we all grow up eventually and I have to say that Clark became an even bigger pain in the ass. Just kidding!

"A little over a year ago, I officially took over as publisher of the Daily Planet and Clark signed on as a columnist. That was all he was supposed to be until he and Lois clashed swords. Well, even I knew then that something momentous had happened, although Clark would deny it. You could say it all snowballed rather quickly but I'm happy to see that my brother has become a better man for never getting the better of Lois Lane."

Perry finally got up.

"Some people might call me a cynic, and I don't mind calling a spade a spade, but I knew when Lois and Clark got together that they were something special." He turned to look at them.

"Lois, Clark, take an old man's advice. Marriage is, well, it's a lot like running a newspaper. It takes hard work and dedication to make it all run smoothly ... but I guess I don't really have to tell you that. To Lois and Clark."

Jimmy took the microphone as everyone toasted them.

"Can we have the bride and groom on the floor for their first dance as husband and wife?"

Clark took Lois' hand and led her out to the dance floor. She put her arms around him as the singer took the microphone from Jimmy. A girl who had been doing back-up vocals joined him in I Don't Know Much.

"I love you Clark," Lois whispered as he kissed her.

"I love you, Lois."


	71. Aruba

Lois had never been one for tradition, but having Clark pick her up in his arms and carry her over the threshold was a tradition she didn't mind at all. She laughed as he set her down in the room of the Aruba resort where they would be spending their honeymoon. If Lois had her way, they'd never leave the hotel, let alone the bed.

They'd flown by conventional means rather than by 'Superman Air', which Lois had enjoyed, despite the length of time for the flight. As soon as the airline staff had learned they were newlyweds they had been treated almost like royalty.

Clark had kept their honeymoon destination a secret, which wasn't easy to do considering she was an investigative reporter, but she had been surprised and delighted to learn they were staying for the whole two weeks of their honeymoon at the Paradise Beach Resort in Aruba. He'd booked the hotel's most luxurious suite, clearly wanting to ensure she had the best of everything.

Lois put her arms around Clark's neck and gazed up at him lovingly.

"Hello husband," she said softly.

"Hello ... wife," he grinned.

Clark moved to kiss her and she put a finger on his lips.

"Don't move."

Clark sent her an odd look but did as he was told as she pulled away from him and bent down to grab her bag. He still looked puzzled as she glanced back at him before disappearing into the bathroom. She and Chloe had gone shopping at Victoria's Secret just for the honeymoon and she'd bought what she hoped was the perfect thing.

She found the baby doll nightie neatly folded at the top and held it up against her. Chloe had thought it was sexy enough that Clark's eyes would practically bug out. It was black, with lace trim at the edge of the mesh body and lace triangle cups. A matching lace thong completed the look.

Slipping it on, Lois checked her reflection, making sure her hair was brushed and shining, showing no signs of the long flight. Turning off the light, she opened the bathroom door and saw he was waiting for her. He'd taken off his shirt but nothing else.

As he turned and saw what she was wearing, his eyes widened. Especially when Lois pulled up the mesh just a little to give him a glimpse of the lace thong.

He didn't even breathe a word as she pulled him close, kissing him. Their tongues duelled for a few moments as they kissed, until breathing became an issue.

Clark looked at her.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asked.

She smiled softly, knowing the question was rhetorical, and kissed him again. She knew, but only that she was beautiful to him. He told her that everyday and she hoped he would go on telling her for as long as they lived.  
>She took his hand and led him to the bed, pulling him down with her.<p>

They lay together, revelling in each other's bodies, losing themselves in each other as they made love.

Next morning, Lois was out on the balcony, sipping orange juice. The sun glinted off the water in the bay which was no more than a hundred yards away from the hotel. As she watched, she saw fins in the water about half a mile out.

"Clark," she called.

Clark came out, still clothed in the complimentary bathrobe, his hair wet from the shower.

"What is it darling?" he asked.

She pointed out to the bay.

"Is that what I think it is?"

He pulled down his glasses, clearly using his micro-vision. Lois grinned, thinking about the little tiff they'd had about that. She had told him micro-vision was kind of a weird name for it and he'd argued it was his power and he could call it whatever he liked. It had never been a serious argument and they'd laughed about it afterwards.

"It's dolphins," he said. "They're just playing."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her from behind, prompting her to keep watching. A dolphin jumped out of the water and playfully butted another dolphin. Lois laughed.

"You know, they have a snorkelling class through the spa, if you want to try it."

She turned in his arms.

"As great as that sounds, darling, I have bigger plans for you."

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

She grinned wickedly. "Well, it involves that huge bed we slept in last night."

"I don't think sleep is the operative word," he grinned back, just as wickedly. "And you, my darling Lois, are insatiable."

She felt him undoing the sash belt of her robe as he pulled her inside the suite. Lois put a hand on his wrist.

"Insatiable, am I? Who's the one undressing me right now?"

Clark laughed and pushed the robe off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor, then lifted her to the bed before taking off his own robe. Lois pulled him down for a deep kiss.

She held him as he began kissing his way down her body, loving the way his soft lips explored every part of her, while his hands mapped her, taking his time to make sure she was fully aroused. When he finally entered her, she rolled over, grinning down at him before losing herself in the feeling of him inside her, their bodies joined intimately. His hands stayed at her waist, supporting her as she slowly moved up and down.

They had all the time in the world and they took advantage of it.

Not all the time was spent in bed. Clark did manage to convince her to go out sightseeing, checking out the local hot spots. They found a good nightclub where they could dance together. Most of the people in the club were guests staying at other hotels. They met a couple from California who were also on their honeymoon and spent part of the night chatting to them.

Hal Jordan was a test pilot, working for Ferris Aircraft, which his new wife, Carol, owned. The way Carol told it, Hal was rather cocky and entirely too sure of himself the first time they'd met and they'd been practically at each other's throats from the moment they'd met. Lois had laughed and told them it had been like that for her and Clark in the beginning.

That had ended up becoming an excuse for Clark to tease her for the rest of the night. She did manage to get him back when the DJ played a Whitesnake song and she made him dance to it.

It was late by the time they made it back to their hotel room. They were both still in high spirits. Lois was giggling as they entered.

"You're tipsy," Clark commented, grinning at her.

She put her arms around his neck.

"I had two glasses of champagne, darling. That's hardly enough to get me drunk."

"Is that so?" he asked, his hands busy at the back of her dress, trying to pull her zip down.

"I'm drunk on you," she told him, pulling his head down for a kiss.

Clark kissed her back, his tongue tracing her lips before thrusting in her mouth. Lois decided it was her turn to take control and she pulled away. Her husband moved to pull her back in but she waggled her finger.

"Uh uh, Mr Luthor."

He snickered. "What game are you playing now, Mrs Luthor?"

"Guess," she said with a wink, letting her dress drop to the floor, then removing her bra and panties so she stood naked before him. His eyes seemed to glaze over with lust and he moved toward her.

Again she moved away, backing toward the bathroom. The hotel had a spa bath which was just perfect for two. Lois had guessed this was exactly why Clark had requested this particular room when he'd booked the honeymoon.  
>Lois turned on the Jacuzzi and filled the bath, just as Clark came in, grabbing her around the waist. She felt enough to know he was also naked.<p>

"Got you!" he told her.

She turned in his arms. "I think you might have that the wrong way around, my love. I got you and I'm never letting you go."

"I think I can live with that," he drawled.

The bath quickly filled, the jets causing the water to bubble. Lois pulled gently away from her husband long enough to find the complimentary bubble bath and add it to the water; foam immediately began to form. Then she took Clark's hand and stepped down into the bath. He followed her.

Lois lay back against him, her back to his chest.

"What did you think of Hal?" she asked.

"A bit cocky, but seems a good guy."

"Cocky? Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?"

Clark chuckled. "Yeah, I deserved that."

"So what were you two talking about while we went to the bathroom?"

Carol had gone with her to the bathroom at one point so they could both freshen up their make-up and when they returned, Clark and Hal seemed to have been having an animated discussion.

"Actually, he was telling me about Green Lantern and asking me about Superman. I did get the impression he knew more about the Green Lantern than he was saying."

"Do you think he knew you were Superman?"

"I don't know. It's possible. Still, I think I'm going to talk to the guys when we get home and see what they think about approaching him to join the League."

They began talking about other things they'd seen and done during the day even as Clark slowly caressed her. She could feel the beginnings of his arousal at her back and decided they'd done enough talking.

Lois took one of his hands in hers, toying with his fingers.

"What are you doing?" he asked, amusement in his tone.

She didn't answer, instead pulling his arm around her so his hand fell on her breast, then tilted her head back to look at him. Clark clearly took that as a hint and began tracing her nipple. Lois captured his mouth in a deep kiss. He shifted against her, one hand massaging her breasts while the other cupped her sex, one finger stroking the flesh.

She grasped his wrist, making him press a little harder with each stroke until she could feel each nerve ending tingling. Clark took the hint and increased the intensity of his strokes, working the swollen nub of flesh until she was thrashing against him, moaning, calling his name, begging for release.

Before she could do so, Clark was turning her around, lifting her up in his arms and carrying her out of the bath and setting her on her feet. Lois could feel the edge of the vanity behind her and used it for leverage as she looked up at her handsome husband. He grinned wickedly at her, capturing her lips in a kiss as he stood between her legs. His arousal pressed against her sex and she sent him a challenging look.

Clark chuckled, rubbing his own swollen flesh against hers. Lois moaned softly, responding to the teasing by undulating her body, daring him to press further. Their gazes met, losing themselves deep within the other's eyes as he slowly entered her. Lois could see their reflections in the huge mirror which covered the entire wall of the bathroom, watching in fascination as her husband pumped in and out of her.

Clark must have realised she was watching their reflections as he pulled out all the way and turned her around so she was facing the vanity. There was a smaller mirror above the unit.

"Watch," he told her as he manoeuvred her so she was bent over the unit at an angle, enough so her ass stuck out. He knelt, massaging the globes of her ass, his thumbs separating the cheeks. She continued to watch the reflection, able at this angle to see the back of her lover's head in the larger mirror as she felt his mouth on her, his tongue driving into her.

"Oh god!" she moaned, pressing her hands flat to the counter top to give herself some balance, fighting to keep upright as her legs turned to jelly.

"Clark, please!"

He seemed to know exactly what she wanted, rising to his feet and standing, guiding himself inside her from behind. She felt him wrap his arms around her, his hands on her belly as he pumped in and out. She looked up long enough to see their reflections once more and the image was so erotic she fell apart, climaxing with a wail.

Clark pressed against her as they both slowly recovered their breaths. Lois turned on shaky legs.

"You okay?" he asked softly, looking deep into her eyes.

She looked up at him, almost incredulous. She'd just about come her brains out and he was asking if she was okay? Lois didn't have a chance to come up with an answer as Clark lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom to the bedroom, laying her in the bed. She snuggled into him, feeling sleepy. The last thing she felt was the gentle kiss her pressed on her forehead.

When she woke it was dark in the room. Lois rolled over, feeling for her husband, only to find he was not there. Sitting up, she felt for the switch for the lamp and looked around, frowning. The balcony door was open. The mattress beside her was still warm so he hadn't left that long ago.

Lois sighed. They'd almost made it two weeks without Superman being called out. Still, the League wouldn't have called for him if it hadn't been important.

She had become almost resigned to it, knowing it was like being married to a doctor or a police officer who was often called out in the middle of the night. She tried not to be resentful, knowing that he was only doing his job. Still, it did bug her sometimes.

Then again, Clark often reminded her that she was the one thing that kept him fighting on the side of good. Even after everything they'd gone through with Slade Wilson last year, even after proving that Superman was there to help humanity, there were still those who continued to say otherwise. Clark needed her to come home to because she was the one thing, the one person who kept believing in him.

She sighed softly as she thought of what could have been had Clark followed the path Lionel had laid for him. The elder Luthor had certainly had plenty of chances to do so, but Clark's deepest nature was one full of compassion. Even if Lionel had succeeded in turning him away from his true destiny, Lois had a feeling it never would have been that way for long.

She heard the sounds of someone stepping on to the balcony, trying to keep quiet, then Clark came in, wearing his Superman uniform.

"You're awake," he stated unnecessarily.

She nodded. "I woke up and you were gone."

"It was an emergency."

"I figured," she said. "They wouldn't have called you otherwise."

She watched as he went to the drawer and pulled out her favourite pair of jeans and a sweater.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I want you to get dressed. There's something I want you to see."

"Now?"she asked, getting up.

He nodded. "I'm not sure how long it will last. Trust me, it will be worth it."

Lois complied, dressing quickly, then took his hand. He wrapped her in his arms and Lois held tightly to him as he took off from the balcony.

She had no idea how long they were in the air for, but guessed they'd flown south. Clark flew without saying a word, just watching ahead of him. Somehow, he turned her around so her back was snug against his chest as they flew. She frowned. Something seemed not quite right with the light. It was almost eerie.

Lois gasped, realising what she was seeing. Clark slowed until finally they were almost hovering in mid-air.

"Is that ..."

"They call it Aurora Australis. The Southern Lights. I was helping an Antarctic Explorer ship near here when I saw it. The local scientists say if you see them then you're pretty lucky because they're so hit and miss."

Lois smiled up at him, so caught up in the sight that she barely noticed they were several hundred feet in the air.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," she said.

He smiled back at her.

"I can do a lot of amazing things, Lois, and I'm sure Superman means a lot to a lot of people, but this ... this is what I can share with you."

Lois had no doubt that this would be one of many wonderful things they would each share throughout their marriage for years to come.

They returned to work at the Planet three days later, wishing the honeymoon had been longer. As soon as they walked in to the staff meeting, all eyes turned to look at them. Lex just winked knowingly.

"Well, well, look who's back!"

"How was the honeymoon?" Cat asked. In spite of their earlier enmity, Cat had become a good friend.

"It was great," Lois told her. "Clark took me to Aruba."

"Oh," the blonde sighed. "I've always wanted to go to Aruba. Was it nice? Did you go snorkelling?"

"We didn't do any snorkelling, but we did see some dolphins playing," Lois answered.

Jimmy playfully smacked Clark on the arm.

"So did you bring me back anything? Souvenirs?"

Perry sent him an 'are you kidding' look. Lex laughed.

"From the look of them, they didn't even leave the hotel room. Look a little tired there, Clark. Have trouble keeping up with Lois?"

"I kept up just fine, Lex," Clark told him. Lois chuckled.

Perry cleared his throat.

"All right, all right. Save the stories for later you two. Where are you at on the latest proposal by the mayor?"

It was back to work with a vengeance.


	72. Birth

Three years later

Clark looked up as Lois came in and sat down looking pale and exhausted. She was thirty weeks pregnant.

"Are you okay, darling?" he asked.

She waved her hand as if that would help with the stifling heat. It had been a very humid summer so far and it was only made worse by her pregnancy.

Lois had wanted to try for a baby as soon as they had got married and Clark had readily agreed, although still not knowing whether he could actually have children with a human. The news that Lois had fertility problems had devastated and concerned them both and Clark had hoped Jor-El would be able to help them fix it. His biological father had refused saying it would not be right for him to intervene, even with Lois' consent.

Clark had initially been angry at his father, until Lois had managed to calm him down and get him to actually listen to Jor-El's reasoning. Krypton had been destroyed due to a war resulting from cloning, from scientists playing God. When Jor-El had sent his only son to protect the Earth he had sworn he would never put Earth in such a position.

Lex had eventually come to the rescue, telling them there were treatments they could try. His brother had a small lab which he used to tinker in and together with Emil Hamilton, a doctor the Justice League kept on permanent retainer, Lex had found a way to help Lois get pregnant using in-vitro fertilisation. It had taken several attempts, but no one had been more excited than Clark and Lois when they learned they were going to have a baby at last.

It was not to say it was plain sailing. Lois had been violently ill the first few weeks until Emil had found some medication that would help. Clark, for his part, had become so protective of his wife and their unborn child that Lois finally turned on him and told him to stop wrapping her in cotton.

The rest of her pregnancy had been relatively trouble-free, but two days earlier she had been accosted while out on a story. She'd managed to fight off her assailant but had ended up bruised and sore. Clark had, of course, felt guilty as he'd been out on a job, but Lois had told him time and time again that he shouldn't feel guilty because he was out doing his job and it wasn't like she could see into the future. Besides, she had told him that night, there was no way she was going to stop doing what she was doing as it was what she loved doing.

They hadn't argued per se, but Lois had made her feelings on the matter very clear and there was nothing Clark could do or say to make her change her mind. Of course, that was then and this was now, and Lois did not look well.

Clark listened in with his super-hearing, trying to get some idea of what was going on. He was alarmed to hear the baby's heartbeat going faster than normal. Or what he assumed was normal.

"Lois? What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to let his panic show.

She winced. "I – I don't know. I just ... I'm bleeding. Just a little, but ... it started this morning ... and my stomach hurts. I keep feeling like there's something wrong with the baby."

Clark nodded, trying to keep calm since the last thing Lois needed to hear was him sounding panicky. It would only make her feel worse than she already was.

"We're going to go to the hospital. Right now."

"I can't just drop this story," she protested.

"And our baby and your health is more important than the damn story," he told her firmly, knowing how he sounded, but he was worried about her.

Lois bit her lip, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go. You better call Emil. Just in case."

Clark called Emil on his cellphone as he hustled her out the door and drove to Met Gen. As much as he had wanted to fly her there, he didn't want to take the chance that his speed might upset things further.

Clark escorted his wife inside to the emergency room and spoke to the nurse, outlining Lois' symptoms. The woman never even bothered to look up, holding up a clipboard with an admittance form on it.

"Fill in this form and sit down. The doctor will be with you soon."

"How long?" he asked.

"There are several patients ahead of you," she said without an ounce of enthusiasm.

"Wait, you don't understand. My wife is thirty weeks pregnant. She ..."

"I get that sir, but unless your case is life-threatening there's nothing I can do."

Clark bit his lip. She didn't seem to be listening, but he couldn't exactly tell the nurse he'd heard the baby's heartbeat. Fortunately, Emil walked up to the desk, having come immediately in answer to Clark's call. They'd had him on semi-permanent retainer since Lois' pregnancy had been confirmed and he had no regular patients.

"Maybe they pay you to be rude, Nurse Foster," he said, "but I doubt they would look kindly on the fact that you ignored possible symptoms of a mother and baby in distress. Or Mr Luthor's own contributions to this hospital."

The nurse looked up, her mouth opening in shock as she realised exactly who she had been giving the brush-off.

"Oh, Mr Luthor, I ..."

Clark kept his temper in check and spoke politely to the woman.

"I don't expect preferential treatment, Nurse Foster, but I sincerely hope you would not purposely ignore the symptoms I have just explained to you."

She stared, white-faced. "Mr Luthor, I am so sorry. You're right. I should have been listening. Dr Hamilton is your doctor?"

"Yes, I am," Emil said, taking the form from Clark. "Why don't you page Dr Kennedy and get him down here. Which exam room is free?"

"Triage three," she said.

Emil nodded. "Clark, why don't you get Lois and follow me."

Clark went to his wife and helped her up.

"What was that woman saying to you?" she asked. Clark glanced at the nurse, who nodded and smiled, probably secretly hoping he wouldn't sue.

"Nothing," he said. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"What was she saying?"

"Darling, please, let's just forget the nurse, okay?"

"She was going to make us wait, wasn't she? I should give that woman a piece of my mind. No, I should write an editorial."

"Lois! Just drop it, okay? She's obviously had a bad day and considering the amount of people waiting it wouldn't be a surprise if she's stressed. She probably just thought we were exaggerating symptoms just to get attention."

"And doesn't she know who you are?"

"What does that matter?" he said, guiding her gently down to triage. "I don't ask for preferential treatment just because Luthorcorp's donated millions to this hospital over the years and neither should we."

Lois sighed. "Okay, okay."

He knew what she was doing, but he could hear her heartbeat. Lois was worried, probably even scared, and she was doing her best to hide it.

Emil smiled at them as they came in.

"Okay, Lois, why don't you get undressed and put this on. It's the latest in haute couture," he added with a grin, holding up the shapeless garment. Lois grimaced at the bad joke and took the gown. She nodded her head at Emil.

"Could you, uh ..."

He grinned. "Sure, Lois. I'll just be outside waiting for Dr Kennedy."

Lois frowned at him. "Why do we need another doctor?"

"Because I'm not an ob-gyn, Lois. And I don't want to take any chances, okay? Trust me, he's very good and he won't say anything."

Clark watched as Lois turned away. He saw her wince and put a hand on her bump.

"Honey?"

"I'm okay. Just a twinge." Clark doubted it; he could see her face was white.

"That was more than just a twinge," he said. "Here, let me help you," he added, moving to help her take her jacket off. She pushed him away as she began to undo the buttons on her blouse, but her hands were shaking.  
>Unable to bear his wife in pain anymore, Clark helped her remove the rest of her clothes and got her dressed in the gown, then settled on the bed with a sheet over her. She was shivering.<p>

Clark went out to look for Emil.

"Clark? What is it?"

"I don't know. She's in pain and she's shivering like she's cold."

"Sounds like she might be going into shock. Clark, I've got a fetal monitor on its way and Dr Kennedy will be here in five minutes."

"You know what it is, don't you?"

Emil bit his lip and looked steadily at him. "Clark, I have my suspicions but I'm not an expert at this. Aaron is probably the best man to be asking about this. Let me ask you this: has Lois had any falls lately?"

"Uh, well, she did sort of have an altercation with a guy day before yesterday. You know what she's like when she's on a story."

"Yeah, I know." Emil looked up at the tall blonde man approaching. "Aaron. Thanks for coming so quickly."

The man nodded. "Mr Luthor?" he asked Clark.

"Yes."

"Tell me what's been happening."

"Uh, well, Lois said she was bleeding when she got up this morning and she's been having stomach cramps most of the day. Well, she says they're cramps but they seem to be more than that."

"I skimmed Lois' file on the way down. I understand the two of you had difficulties getting pregnant?"

Clark nodded. "We finally had to resort to IVF."

The other man scratched his lip with his finger. "Of course. Well, let's see if we can't figure out what's happening here."

Clark followed the man in.

"Hello, Mrs Luthor. I'm Aaron. Emil called me in to consult. How are you feeling?"

"Not so good," she said, which sounded alarming to Clark, since Lois wasn't usually so honest with doctors. "My stomach hurts. And I've been bleeding."

"How heavy is the bleeding?"

"Mostly spotting, I guess. Not like, you know, my period."

"I see."

Clark heard the sound of a cart being wheeled and a nurse brought in some equipment.

"Good. Here's the fetal monitor. Lois ... can I call you Lois?" the doctor asked, smiling down at her.

"Sure."

"Lois, we're going to monitor the baby's heartbeat. And I want to check your blood pressure as well. Now, I understand you're at thirty weeks?"

"Yes."

Clark tuned out, watching Emil and the other doctor work. More equipment was brought in. One was presumably an ultrasound as the doctor used it to examine Lois' abdomen.

His phone rang and he glanced guiltily at Emil when his friend frowned at him. He looked quickly at the caller id.

"Sorry, it's Lex."

"You know phones can interfere with medical equipment," Emil warned.

"I know. Sorry. I'll be right back," he said, squeezing Lois' hand.

He went out and called Lex back.

"Where are you?"

"We're still at the hospital," Clark told his brother. He had sent a text to him as soon as they'd left the office.

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. They're still doing tests."

"Do you need me to come down?"

Clark didn't want to say it. He did need his brother. For the first time in his career as Superman, he was faced with something he could do nothing about.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Lex promised, taking Clark's silence as assent.

"Lex ... thanks."

"S'what family's for," Lex answered.

It was another hour before either of them got any answers. Emil took them both aside.

"It's not good," he said. "My suspicions were correct. Lois has had what we call a placental abruption."'

"What's that?" Clark asked.

"Part of the placental lining has separated from her uterus."

"And that's bad?"

"Well, yes, although it depends on how much has separated. Too much and the baby could become starved of oxygen. Aaron recommends we get the baby out now."

"But Lois is only thirty weeks."

"And if we do nothing, it could be much worse. Look, I've heard of foetuses much more premature surviving much worse odds. And the chances for your baby are pretty good, considering his heritage. There is some fetal distress. Not too much but enough to be a concern."

"How long?" Clark asked. "How long before we have to decide?"

"Not long. Clark, I really doubt your AI can help," Emil said.

"I have to try," Clark told his friend. He glanced at Lex, who seemed to be in total agreement.

He went back into the room. Lois at least was looking more comfortable than she had an hour earlier.

"Hi," he said, sitting on the bed.

"Hi. What's going on?"

"I'm going to go talk to Jor-El," he said.

"It's bad, isn't it?" she asked.

"It's called a placental abruption. The ... the ... baby's not handling it so well." Not to mention himself, he thought. "They want to induce. I want to see if there's anything Jor-El can suggest."

Lois paled, reaching for his hand.

"A placental abruption. That's really bad, isn't it?"

Clark knew he couldn't lie to her. Not to his beloved wife.

"It could be worse, darling, but you're strong. I know you are. Sit tight for me. Lex is right outside and so is Emil. They'll get you anything you need. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He placed his hand on her stomach, mindful of the pain she was in. He couldn't feel the baby's movements and he worried that was a sign their baby wasn't doing as well as he could. Hold on, he thought. Daddy's going to try to get you some help.

"I love you," he said softly. "Try and get some rest."

"I love you too, Clark. I love you so much."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Then left the room quietly. Emil looked at him.

"Clark, we're moving her to the maternity ward for now. Tenth floor. Room 16. She'll be there by the time you get back."

"Thanks Emil."

"Good luck Clark," Lex said. Clark nodded at his brother and walked away until he was out of sight of all the security cameras and anyone who might see him take off. Then he leapt into the air, flying north.

He touched down in the darkness of the Arctic and stepped into the fortress.

"Greetings, my son. I know why you are here. I have been monitoring the situation."

"What can we do?"

"I am afraid I can only offer words of comfort, my son. Lois is strong and your baby is strong. However, this is the first time a Kryptonian and a human have produced a child and I do not possess the knowledge to be able to assist."

"There must be something you can do to help?"

"I cannot. If you were to bring Lois here, the journey may kill the child inside her. You must trust the humans. From what I understand of your medical technology they have made significant advances in this field and your Lois is in the best of care."

It was little comfort. Clark slammed his fist against one of the crystal walls, causing a minor avalanche in his frustration. It didn't seem fair that they'd gone through so much to have this baby and now there was a chance they could lose him.

Dejected, Clark returned to his wife's side. Just as Emil had told him, they'd moved Lois to the ward. Lex was sitting with her, as was Lena. She jumped up from the bed and ran to hug him.

"Everything will be okay," she told him. "I just know the baby's gonna be okay."

"Thanks sweetie," he said.

"I'm gonna go get a soda. You guys want anything?"

"No, thanks honey," Lex told his daughter. "Did you call Kimberley?"

Lena nodded. "She said Jayden was grizzling and she didn't want to leave him when he wasn't feeling well. But she sends Aunt Lois her love."

"He's teething," Lex told Clark.

"I'm not surprised he's grizzling then," Clark answered, ruffling his niece's hair as she went out.

"What did Jor-El say?" Lois asked quietly.

"He said there wasn't anything he could do. That we just need to trust the 'humans' as he called them."

"That's comforting," Lois answered. Clark sat on the bed and took her hand. She winced and he looked at her, alarmed. "It's just a twinge," she told him.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're a worrywart?" she said.

Emil had clearly been keeping a watchful eye on things as he came in.

"Was the AI any help?"

Clark shook his head. "Emil, what are the odds? What are we looking at here?"

"Well, I would say Lois is a grade two."

"Which means?"

"Simply put, if we don't deliver it could significantly decrease both the baby's and Lois' chances of survival. I'm not going to lie to either of you. A placental abruption can be fatal if it is not treated in time. If the baby wasn't in distress, we could have just kept Lois in hospital, kept her resting until either her condition changed or until we could deliver the baby without him being too premature."

"So a caesarean?"

"Yes," Emil told Lois. "A vaginal birth would be too much for the baby and there is a risk you could haemorrhage and go into shock." He looked kindly at them. "Look, we caught this in time and the odds are pretty good. Western medicine has made significant advances in ante-natal care, plus you're healthy as a horse. I wish all of my patients were as healthy. Even if you do have a bad habit of getting yourself into dangerous situations," he added wryly.

Clark watched his wife. He knew there was no other option. Just as she did. She gave a heavy sigh.

"All right," she said. "There's no alternative."

"Lois, baby, are you sure?" Clark asked.

She nodded.

Clark turned and looked at Emil, then Lex.

"Can I have a couple of minutes alone with her?"

Emil nodded. "I'll go tell Aaron to prep for surgery."

Lex put a hand on his shoulder, then went out. Clark looked at his wife.

"I love you. I think I've always loved you. From the moment I met you."

Lois snorted. "Please. You wanted to get me into bed the moment you met me."

"Okay," he chuckled. "I admit that, but you didn't fall for it. You challenged me, made me want to be a better man, be the hero I was always meant to be, and for that I'm grateful."

"Oh Clark, you were already the hero, you didn't need me for that."

"You're wrong, Lois. I'll always need you. By my side; in my heart." She frowned deeply at him.

"Why are you talking like this?"

He looked down, then slowly back up at her. "I'm afraid, Lois. I know how risky this is and I don't want to lose you."

She leaned forward and kissed him. "Hey, I love you too. And you won't lose me. I'm a Lane, remember? I'm bred tough."

Clark grinned. "That you are."

"Now come on, let's get this show on the road."

Clark waited until they took her to surgery, knowing he would just get in the way as they worked to save both her and the baby. He paced in the waiting room while Lex sat in one of the chairs with Lena curled up beside him. He closed his super-hearing off, thinking if he listened to what was going on, it would just make him worry even more.

The door to the room slid open and General Lane walked in. Clark was surprised to see him in casual clothing instead of the military uniform. He'd called his father-in-law while Lois had still been going through the tests.

"How is she?" Sam asked.

"She's still in surgery."

"And the baby?"

"We don't know. They haven't told us anything yet."

"Lois will be fine, son," Sam said, clearly seeing the worried look on his son-in-law's face. "She's strong. And it's not because of the way I raised her. She has her mother's strength."

Shortly after Sam's arrival, Martha and Jonathan came in. Martha hugged Clark and Jonathan clapped him on the shoulder. Clark smiled gratefully at the couple. They had become as close to him as if they had been his parents.

He watched as Lex received a hug from Martha as well. The two began chatting about Jayden and his teething troubles.

Clark was grateful for the distraction, knowing the more he continued to dwell on what was happening, the harder it would be. He sat and talked with Jonathan and Sam for a while, trying to focus on something else rather than his wife in the operating theatre.

He looked up when the door opened once again. Emil came in and he was grinning broadly. Clark waited as Emil stepped over to him.

"Well, I'll tell you something about that lady of yours," Emil said. "She's tough. I'd hate to be any bad guy who goes up against her. I mean Superman has nothing on her."

"Emil?"

"She came through with flying colours. She's in Recovery now and you can see her in a few minutes."

"What about the baby?" Clark asked, still worried that Emil was only telling half the story.

"Damndest thing. You wouldn't think he was only thirty weeks because he sailed through his Apgar tests. Heart, lungs. I tell you that kid is screaming the place down. Reminds me of this movie I saw years ago where the kid's thoughts were voiced by Bruce Willis."

Clark stared at his friend wondering what he was going on about. Emil just canted his head and grinned.

"Never mind that. So, Dad, you ready to see your wife and son?"

"Yes I am."

"They're both in Recovery," Emil told him. "Follow me."

Emil was right about the baby. His son was crying loudly, probably protesting at the fact he'd been taken from the warm place inside his mother before he was ready. He was laying in the bassinet provided by the hospital. Clark raised an eyebrow at his friend, wondering why the baby wasn't in an incubator.

"I guess it must be the Kryptonian genes," Emil said quietly. "Everything seems almost fully developed as if he was at thirty six weeks instead of thirty. Of course, we docs are known to get our dates wrong from time to time, but not this wrong."

Lois was lying in the bed, looking a little pale and tired, but she smiled up at him, reaching out a hand for him.

"Only your son," she said, "could defy all the odds and be the loudest kid in the hospital."

"I think that must be your genes," he told her with a grin. "Especially with that voice. Definitely a Lane trait."

She scowled at him. "You wait until I get out of this bed, Luthor. You won't know what hit you."

"Oh, I hope so," he said, smirking.


	73. Nicholas

Lois woke to see the sun streaming in through the curtains. She tried to sit up, but only felt a cramping pain in her stomach where they'd stitched her up after the caesarean. She lay back, not wanting to do anything which might tear the stitches, then reached for the remote to help her lever the head of the bed up.

"Oh, Mrs Luthor, let me do that."

Lois looked up, not realising the nurse had come into the room.

"Thanks," she said.

The nurse took the remote from the side table and pressed it so Lois could sit up. Then she set to work checking Lois' blood pressure and heart rate.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, when she'd finished and noted the results on the chart.

"A little sore."

"On a scale of one to ten?"

"Mm, about a four or five, I think. If I don't move I'm fine."

"Doctor Kennedy will be by around ten to check up on you. Are you feeling up to eating anything?"

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, I could go for something to eat."

"Good." The nurse glanced at the corner of the room where Clark sat, or rather snored.

"Has he been here all night?" Lois asked.

The nurse nodded. "He wouldn't leave your side, even when Dr Hamilton told him it would be better for him to be at home and resting. He was in the nursery at three this morning just watching your son."

Lois chuckled lightly. It was such a Clark thing to do. They'd taken the baby to the nursery so he could be monitored closely by staff, despite Clark's protests that he wanted the baby in the room with Lois. He clearly wanted to be able to watch over both of them at the same time.

"Don't wake him," she said.

"Don't worry. We'll let him sleep. Poor man must be exhausted. He spent half the night worrying about you and the other half worrying about your baby."

"Speaking of whom, when can I see him?" she asked.

"From what I hear he's sleeping right now. But I'm sure he'll be waking up wanting his breakfast in about an hour or so. I'll go and order yours now."

"Thank you."

Just as the nurse predicted, an hour later another nurse came in wheeling the small bassinet they used to transport the infants. Lois looked up from the bed. She'd finished her breakfast and had been reading the paper while Clark still snored in the chair.

She'd heard the baby crying before they even opened the door. Grinning, she held out her arms for her son, glancing quickly over to where Clark slept. He had clearly been completely exhausted as he was still out like a light.

The baby quieted as soon as he smelled his mother and nuzzled her breast.

"Let me help you with that," the nurse said, undoing the tie at the back of her gown. She then helped Lois position the baby so he quickly latched on to her breast. She winced at the twinge of pain. The nurse smiled.

"The first time breastfeeding is never easy but you'll get used to it."

"It feels weird," she said.

"I know. But your milk is the best for baby." Lois wanted to call her out on it, but the nurse's view was probably a product of bad training. The nurse glanced over at Clark. "He's still sleeping."

"Yeah. I don't want to wake him. Not yet. He apparently exhausted himself worrying."

"New fathers tend to do that. Especially ones as devoted to you as he is."

Lois continued to watch her baby suckling, marvelling at the precious bundle in her arms. He had a shock of dark hair like his father. Ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes. He was smaller than the average newborn, of course, because he'd been so premature, but he was still larger than other preemie babies she'd seen at the same level. And he was definitely going to be tall, if not taller than his father.

Having had his fill, the baby stopped suckling and began whimpering. The nurse showed Lois how to get the wind out of his little tummy. She curled up in the bed, propping him on her lap.

"So you're the one who's been kicking me all this time," she said. The baby cooed as if in answer. "You're going to be trouble aren't you? Just like your daddy. And you're as beautiful as him. Just don't tell him I said that. I don't want his head to swell."

Her son might only be a day old but she could swear for a moment he smiled. It was probably just gas.

She played with him for a little while, watching in fascination as his little hand caught her finger and curled around it. He'd been dressed in a blue one-piece to keep him warm with a matching hat on his head. The outfit was just a little bit too big for him, the ends of the sleeves flopping over his hands.

Lois ran her finger over his little button nose, tenderly caressing him. She was hit by an overwhelming feeling of love, like a prickly feeling behind her eyes.

There was movement from the corner and she glanced up to see her husband waking up. He blinked a few times, then yawned.

"Well, good morning sleepyhead," she said. "I thought you were going to sleep the day away."

He smiled and stood up, stretching. "What time is it?"

"About nine-thirty, I think," she answered.

The baby on her knee yawned and she looked back at him. Clark came over, sitting on the bed.

"Wanna hold him?" she asked her husband.

He nodded, taking the tiny bundle gently, one hand supporting his son's neck. Father and son looked at each other in fascination. Then the baby yawned again and Clark smiled.

"Looks like somebody's ready for a nap," he said.

"Eat, sleep and poop. That's all babies do."

Lois watched as Clark gently placed the baby in the bassinet, wrapping him in the blanket.

"Sleep well, little guy," he said.

"Clark, we can't just call him little guy. We have to name him."

"I thought we were going to name him Jon?" Clark asked, sitting on the bed again and taking her hand.

Lois was proud that her husband wanted to name their son after Jonathan Kent. He'd certainly become very close to the man in the years they'd been together. But she would have thought they'd name him something that was based on his heritage.

"I don't know," she sighed. "I love Jonathan. I do. God knows he's been a lot closer to me than my own dad at times, but I just thought you'd want to name him something that's close to, you know, your birth family."

"Well, what about Nicholas? I thought his middle name could be Samuel. It even fits with the 'El'," he said with a grin.

She laughed, then groaned. "Oh god, I'm going to be in trouble between you and your son, aren't I?"

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

"No," she said, tilting her head inviting his kiss. He complied, kissing her gently.

"So, Nicholas Samuel?"

"Nicholas Samuel," she agreed.

"I like it."

Clark looked up and grinned at his brother.

"Hey Lex."

"Hey you two. Kimberley sends her love."

"I heard Jayden was giving her trouble," Lois said, smiling at her brother-in-law.

"He's a Luthor, what do you expect?" Clark answered with a grin.

Lois would have hit him if she wasn't worried the sudden movement might hurt.

"So you up to a couple of visitors, Lois?"

"You bet," she said. "Bring 'em on."

Lex laughed, then turned to look out the door. Lena came in a moment later, running over to hug her aunt carefully.

"I won't break you know, Lena."

"Yeah, but you just had surgery yesterday."

"I'll be fine in a day or two," she assured her niece. She watched as Lena looked in the bassinet.

"Wow, he's so cute!"

"You won't think that when he starts crawling and chewing on your stuff," Clark warned her. Lena rolled her eyes at her uncle.

"Can I hold him?" she asked, looking up at Clark.

"Later sweetheart," Lex said. "He's sleeping right now."

Lex sat in the chair, while Lena leaned on the wall by the window. The three adults talked for a little while as Lena watched her baby cousin with an expression of rapt fascination on her face.

"I called Perry and told him. He sends his love and left instructions you were not to come back to work until Lois was at least on the mend, Clark. So I suggested you take at least the next couple of weeks off. You've certainly earned it."

"Thanks Lex," Clark smiled.

"Don't thank me. If there's one thing Kimberley and the kids have taught me it's that family is important. Speaking of whom, I should get home before she has my hide. She has decreed today to be family day and her word is law." Lex grinned, bending over to kiss Lois on the cheek.

Lois grinned at the thought of her sister-in-law twisting Lex around her little finger. Lena hugged her before she left.

Dr Kennedy came in a few minutes later, followed by Emil.

"How are you feeling, Lois?" he asked kindly.

"Pretty good, actually."

"Well, I have to admit, you're pretty tough. I'm very impressed with how quickly you're recovering. As for your son, he must have some damn good genes."

"He gets that from his father," Lois told him, without a trace of irony. Well, it was true.

"We're going to keep you here for another couple of days, just to make sure everything's going okay, and I want you to take it easy. No chasing down bad guys, is that understood?"

Lois pouted, making the doctor laugh.

"Don't worry, doc, I'll make sure she gets her rest," Clark promised.

"I've no doubt, Mr Luthor," he said. "Of course, that goes double for you," Aaron told him. "I hear you've been driving our staff crazy overnight."

"Well, I ..."

"I can understand, Mr Luthor," the other man said kindly. "But you have a wife and baby to take care of. And trust me on this. You are going to need as much rest as you can get while you can still get it."

Clark grinned, nodding.

It wasn't long before there were more visitors. Jonathan and Martha stopped by, as did their son. Jonathan's face lit up in a huge grin when he held the baby and the infant cooed at him. And when Lois' father visited, she was surprised to see the tears in his eyes while holding his tiny grandson in his arms.

"We're naming him Nicholas Samuel, Dad," she said quietly as her father rocked the infant.

He looked up at her in surprise.

"You ... you're giving him my name as his middle name?"

She nodded. "It was Clark's idea."

Sam smiled up at Clark. "Thank you, son. You don't know what that means to me. I'm a traditional man and I never had any sons to pass my father's name onto. Not that I'm not grateful for my two girls. No father could ever be prouder. It really means a lot that you would give him my name."

"Thank you Dad."

"Yes, thank you sir."

"Sam. Or Dad," the general smiled, reminding him gently. Clark smiled back. Lois found herself almost tearing up with the way the two men had become even closer in the past couple of years.

Nicholas began to whimper, scrunching his face up in a clear sign that he was about to cry. Lois watched as her father grinned down at his grandson.

"Oh yeah, he's a Lane through and through," he said. "You're just like your mother when she was a day-old," he told the infant. "Oh yes, she yelled the place down too. Always hungry. Just about wore your grandmother out."

Lois bit back a laugh at her father talking to her son, who was crying in earnest now. Sam placed the baby in her arms.

"Looks like he's hungry again, Mommy."

Lois wasn't surprised as the baby nuzzled her breast. She glanced up as her father clapped Clark on the back.

"Why don't we go grab ourselves some of that miserable excuse for coffee they have here and let Lois feed my grandson in peace."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Clark told him with a wink at Lois. She smiled back, undoing the button of the nightgown Clark had brought from home as the two men left.

By the time she was allowed to go home a few days later, Lois was going stir-crazy. Despite that, she was still sore and feeling exhausted. She never knew how tiring it was feeding a baby every two hours or so, but Nicholas was pretty demanding.

Clark brought the baby capsule, placing their son gently inside, before helping her dress.

"Are you okay?" he asked as she winced.

"I'm fine. Stop mother-henning me."

"I'm not. I'm just worried, that's all."

"You have enough to worry about, Superman," she answered.

Clark had not answered a call for help since the day he'd brought her in to the hospital. He'd told her that he'd asked the Justice League to help out. He'd been more concerned about her than about being Superman. And the people of Metropolis had noticed his absence. Lois had tried not to be resentful of Clark's duty to the city, but it did rankle that they still expected him to be at their beck and call.

Emil came in, wheeling a chair in front of him.

"Oh no, I'm not getting in that," she told him.

"Sorry, Lois, it's hospital policy."

"I'm fine. I can walk."

"Humour me," Emil answered.

With a sigh, Lois let Clark help her into the chair and Emil wheeled her out along the corridor to the lift, while Clark followed with the baby.

"Promise me you're going to get plenty of rest," Emil told her.

"I'll make sure of it," Clark answered.

Lois just rolled her eyes.

"You know, I don't need a babysitter," she said.

"Lois ..." Clark sighed in return.

She shook her head. She loved him, but he worried too much sometimes. Okay, so things could have been a lot worse. She'd been extremely lucky that they had managed to figure out in time what had happened. And she was grateful for that. But enough was enough. She had a baby to take care of.

As Clark drove her home, she found herself wondering whether Jor-El might have at least had something to do with what had happened. Even she knew that what she had gone through was not something that was easy to recover from, but she had seemed to recover awfully quickly.

When she voiced her theory to Clark, he shrugged.

"I don't know, darling. I do wonder if maybe Jor-El did have something to do with it, but he said he couldn't help."

"And since when have we ever taken anything Jor-El says on faith."

"I know," he sighed. "You're right. Anyway, however it happened, I'm grateful that you're both doing okay. I don't mind telling you, I was terrified Lo. The thing is ... the thing is, I'm Superman, but all those powers and there was nothing I could do. Do you know how helpless I felt?"

She knew. She had known how scared he was because she had felt the same way. The reality of it all was that despite his powers, there were some things Superman couldn't do.

She placed a hand on his knee and he covered her hand with his, squeezing it.

"I love you," she said.

He glanced at her briefly and smiled. "I know."

Lois grinned, watching as he turned his attention back to the road. She looked around. Nicholas was sleeping soundly in the capsule, blissfully unaware of the turmoil of his arrival. It was a pretty good bet that life was never going to be dull with him in their lives.

Then again, she was married to Superman, she thought with a grin. Dull just wasn't in his vocabulary.


	74. Epilogue

Epilogue  
><em><br>The Truth About Men and Women by Clark Luthor_

_I used to think that it was okay to sleep with a woman and not call her back the next day. I admit I was something of a womaniser._

_I always used to believe that that was the way men were wired. Monogamy was just a word and love and romance were concepts manufactured by candy companies looking to make a quick buck._

_How wrong I was._

_I met Lois Lane and pegged her to be the same kind of woman I'd always dated. I thought she would fall instantly for my charms and I could take her to bed and forget her._

_She isn't like that. Lois challenges me, grounds me and makes me a better man simply because she is in my life._

_I used to think that men and women were different. They are, but only physically._

_The truth is, we all want the same things. Companionship, someone we can trust with all of our being._

_And that, dear readers, is what I have with my wife. And more. The day I married Lois Lane really was the happiest day of my life. There have been other days which were close; those were when she brought our children into the world._

_I have something I never thought it would be possible to have. A family. A reason for doing the things I do. The fact that my wife is the most gorgeous woman in the world is just window-dressing. It may be a cliché, but she really is beautiful inside and out._

_I used to think I knew everything about women. About relationships. Being with Lois has taught me that everything I thought I knew should be screwed up in a ball and thrown in the wastepaper bin._

_The truth about men and women is this. We're lucky if we find that someone we can share not just our life with, but every part of us. We're lucky if we can find that person who understands us completely. I certainly am._

_And here are my final words. Happy Anniversary, my darling Lois. I love you.  
><em>  
>"Daddy!"<p>

Clark looked up and smiled at his young daughter as she ran in.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he said, lifting her onto his lap.

"You're missing the party, Daddy," she said, most of it coming out garbled from the two year old, but Clark had had some practice at baby talk and was able to interpret it easily.

"Well, we can't miss your mom's party, now can we?" he replied, grinning. Their tenth wedding anniversary was not for another two days but Lois had wanted to throw a party early, knowing they would be working on the day. Clark had never been able to refuse his wife anything.

"What are you writing, Daddy?" little Ava asked.

"Just something for your mom," he said, sending the text to Perry.

He hadn't written a column in years. After he'd brought the cable show to an end, the producer had been unhappy, but he'd known it was time. The column itself had been taken over by someone else hired especially for the job who was good at writing the humour the column required. Still, even though he was now an award-winning investigative reporter – he and Lois had won a Pulitzer as well as the Kerth Award for their series of stories on the illegal experiments on humans – Clark had missed writing the column which had been the key to giving him the greatest gift in his family. Just for the anniversary, Clark had had a special edition of the Daily Planet created, including his column.

Lois would laugh and call him a sap, but he had come to believe that romance wasn't something confined to a special day, whether it was Valentine's Day or a wedding anniversary. He often bought his wife flowers, or small gifts, just to show her how much he loved her and valued her.

After all, she had given him the most precious gifts he could ever have hoped for. Nicholas was almost seven and the smartest kid in his grade. Lois had laughed uproariously when Nicholas' teacher had told them he already had two girlfriends.

"That's my boy!" Clark had crowed, while Lois had nudged him.

"Yeah, he's your kid all right," she said.

Three years ago, Lois had decided she wanted another child and they had gone back to Lex and Emil, asking for more IVF treatments. Unlike the angst they'd gone through before Nicholas, Lois' fertilised eggs had taken quickly and the pregnancy had been smooth sailing. Clark had had a few moments of anxiety when Lois had hit the thirty week mark, but she had reported no problems, except for the normal complaints of aching joints and the baby keeping her up all night, but she had carried Ava to term. She still had to have a caesarean, as a natural birth had been out of the question, but Ava had emerged pink and healthy and screaming her head off, just like her brother. Sam had been thrilled to learn they had chosen to name her after her great-grandmother.

Ava jumped off his lap, breaking Clark out of his reverie.

"C'mon Daddy, I'm hungry."

He got up, picking his daughter up and carried her out of the office, joining his wife out on the sunny terrace.

"Hey you," she said. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much," he said with a shrug, greeting Clark Kent and Maddie with a smile.

Maddie had been smitten with the Kents' adopted son from the moment they'd met and it had been inevitable they would end up married and now expecting their first child. Martha and Jonathan, who were watching the couple, had been delighted to learn they were going to be grandparents.

Clark looked around at the guests. There was Bruce and Chloe with their son, Thomas, named, of course, after Bruce's father. Oliver was talking with his wife, Dinah, who was holding their baby daughter Laura, and Lex and Kimberley were watching Jayden playing with his cousin and his little sister Sophie.

"Hey uncle Clark."

Clark looked around at his niece. She was holding hands with a young man who was staring up at him in awe.

"Hey Mr L," he said.

"Wally? Are you and Lena seeing each other?"

Kid Flash nodded. "Yeah. Um, congrats, by the way."

"Thanks."

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Ava protested, squirming in his arms.

"All right, kiddo, let's go get you some food." He glanced at his wife as Lois affectionately petted their daughter's head.

"Just like her father," she commented with a wink. "Bottomless pit."

Laughing, they held hands as they walked away.

THE END


End file.
